


Runner

by BarryandCisco_FlashVibe



Category: SF9 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Major Character Injury, Major Illness, Original Character(s), RPM inspired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:08:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 34,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21883501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarryandCisco_FlashVibe/pseuds/BarryandCisco_FlashVibe
Summary: An RPM music video inspired story. Takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where there are no females left alive. About a group that fights to survive in a harsh world.My summaries suck, but the story is good? lol
Relationships: Baek Juho | Zuho/Kang Chanhee | Chani, Kim Inseong/Lee Sanghyuk | Dawon, Kim Seokwoo | Rowoon/Kim Youngkyun | Hwiyoung/Yoo Taeyang, Kim Youngbin/Lee Jaeyoon
Comments: 55
Kudos: 38





	1. Prologue

Prologue

In the year 2026, a mysterious mist began to envelope the globe. It started in small isolated areas, but in several different countries. No one knew where the mist came from, but within a year it had enveloped the entire planet. At first, no one noticed the correlation between the mist and the illnesses.

In the beginning, the illnesses were small and seemingly innocent. What seemed like just the flu, was actually the first phase of a greater and more nefarious disease. A disease that ended up fatal in every single case. One hundred percent of the patients were killed by the mist plague, and one hundred percent of those that were affected by this disease were female. No one knew why only females, both old and young, were affected but not males.

Scientists from several countries created a coalition to try to find a cure for this disease. One was never found nor created. Even the discovery of the Heartstones, which when refined properly could heal even mortal wounds, could not heal the effects, or stop the effects, of the mist plague.

After about twenty years, all the females on the planet had died, young and old alike. In this time, governments collapsed and for decades wars were fought over the newly discovered Hearstones. Not only were these stones able to heal mortal wounds, but it was discovered that they could also create life if used the right way. The man who discovered this was revered for decades for saving humanity from the brink of extinction.

A decade after the last female died from the mist, people discovered that the rain wasn’t always regular rain. Acid rain began to fall from the sky at random times. The acid rain was so strong, that too long exposed to it could kill you. So, the population that was already so small because of the plague and wars, was decreased even more by the rain before people discovered a way to create a fabric that could protect them from it.

Now the year is 3016, and the remaining humans live in small, isolated and wide-spread communities. People do what they can to survive. Refining the stones is a close-kept secret and takes a long apprenticeship to learn, but the people who can do it are well respected and highly sought after. Many people work in trades or as farmers. Very few people collect the Heartstones because they are usually found in very dangerous places and take very skilled individuals to get to them.

~*~*~*~*~


	2. Youngbin and Taeyang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our story begins with Youngbin and Taeyang, two brothers abandoned by their fathers. Youngbin must take on the same job his father had before leaving, in order to take care of himself and Tae.

Chapter One

“Youngbin?”

Youngbin turned to see is younger brother Taeyang hiding in the doorway of the kitchen. He moved towards the younger boy and knelt in front of him, pushing a stray lock of hair behind his ear. “Hey Tae-Tae, what’s wrong?” he said.

Taeyang sniffled and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Why did papa and daddy leave us? Was I a bad boy?”

“Oh Tae, no!” Youngbin said, pulling the sniffling boy into his arms. “You’re not a bad boy Tae, and it’s not your fault that they left, okay?”

Tae pulled back with a frown and said, “Then why did they leave?”

Youngbin sighed and picked Tae up, standing and carrying him over to the kitchen table. He sat down with Tae in his lap and contemplated the best way to explain what had happened without upsetting the eleven-year-old boy too much. “Do you remember the stones that daddy would collect, and papa would trade in the market?” Youngbin said finally.

“Yes. They used to glow really bright at night and keep me up with nightmares,” Tae whispered.

Youngbin winced but continued, saying, “Well, those stones are really dangerous. The glow you saw? It can affect people’s minds and turn good people bad.”

“Like papa and daddy?” Tae said with a gasp as his eyes widened.

“Yes Tae. Daddy and papa love us very much, and it’s only because of the stones that they left. I’m sorry,” Youngbin said. He didn’t tell Taeyang that their loving fathers had also tried to corrupt both he and Taeyang, but that the power of the stones didn’t work on children because they were innocent. All the boy needed to know was that their parents loved them and never would have abandoned them on their own.

“I miss them, Binnie,” Tae said, sniffling and the nuzzling his nose into his older brother’s chest.

“I do too Tae-Tae. I do too,” Youngbin whispered, hugging his little brother tight. He relished this moment for as log as he could because he knew soon, he would have to think about how he would support himself and a young child.

~*~*~*~*~

Youngbin had thought of taking up many different jobs, but all of them would take him away from Taeyang for longer than he would prefer. Their house was well removed from the rest of the town, so any normal job there would mean at least ten hours away from home, and he didn’t like the prospect of leaving his baby brother alone for that long.

In the end, Youngbin realized that his only option was to take up his parents’ job collecting the Heartstones and trading them. As much as he hated the idea of having anything to do with the stones, he knew he was safe from the stones’ influence for at least three more years. Even though raw Heartstones didn’t have a lot of trade value, it would be enough to take care of himself and Tae, and he would only have to leave Tae home alone for a few hours at a time while he collected the stones. Tae could go with him to the village, and learn how to barter, and hopefully play with some of the children in the village.

Today was going to be his first mission to collect a Hearstone. For his first attempt, he only wanted to collect one. He had no idea what obstacles he could face. Many of the cave systems the Heartstones were usually found in were notorious for being unstable, and Youngbin couldn’t risk leaving Taeyang an orphan.

After making sure he was in comfortable clothing that wouldn’t restrict his movement, Youngbin kissed Tae on the head and said, “Don’t open this door for anyone. And eat your breakfast.”

Taeyang bit his lip and nodded before rushing forward to give Youngbin one last hug saying, “Be careful Binnie.”

“Don’t worry Tae. I’ll be back before you know it,” Youngbin said. He exited the house and waited until he heard the click of the lock before he left. He headed off towards the closest source of Heartstones that he knew of. 

He tried to keep his mind off all the things that could go wrong today, and instead thought about how he would be able to feed Tae for a week with just one stone. He stopped for a moment as he came to the mouth of the cave he needed to enter. He had no way of knowing how stable this cave system was, but he hoped that his mission would be easy and successful.

He took a steadying breath before heading in search of a Heartstone. So far this cave system seemed relatively stable, and he hoped it stayed that way. He stopped when he saw a glow coming from the path to his left. He turned and saw maybe a hundred stones in the wall at the end of the tunnel. They all looked pretty simple to extract too which made Youngbin sigh in relief. He made his way to the stones and took out a small pick he felt would do the job, and carefully pried one of the stones from the rock wall.

He pocketed the stone and turned back towards the way he came. Just as he thought he would get out of there without a hitch, he felt the cave floor begin to tremble beneath his feet. Youngbin sucked in a sharp breath before taking off towards the exit to the cave at a sprint. As he got to a point where he could see the mouth of the cave only a few feet in front of him, a large rock fell in his path and he stumbled to a stop. He caught his breath before running around the boulder. He tripped over a small crack that began to form in the ground, and felt a searing pain run up his leg from his ankle.

Youngbin grunted and ignored the pain as he ran out of the cave just as a bunch of rocks fell, caving in the entrance. He bent over panting, hands resting on his knees and eyes squeezed shut tightly. He took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and let it out. He patted his pocket, making sure the stone was still there, and sighed when he felt it. This mission showed him it was possible for him to collect the stones, and he learned that he would need to train and do research to make the collecting process safer and easier. Those were easy things to do if it meant Tae would be taken care of properly.

~*~*~*~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the beginning of our story, Youngbin is 15 and Taeyang is 11. Bare with me, as this story is going to introduce each member individually, before we delve into the true story.


	3. Dawon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was typed up at work on a computer that is not in English lol so I could check for any mistakes. If you notice any, please let me know~^^ I also had to post it on my phone so the formatting is probably all wack, I apologize in advance.

Chapter Two  
For the past two years Youngbin had been collecting Hearstones alone. In that time he had many successful missions, but many more ended in failure. There were times he came home with several stones and he was able to support he and Tae for at least a month, and other times where he came home with no stones at all and they had to ration food.

Youngbin had quickly learned how to survive the many obstacles he faced collecting the stones, but sometimes he still came home with a few minor injuries. It was on these days, and the days where he couldn’t manage to collect even a single stone, that Youngbin questioned the choice he made to collect stones for a living. He could still change his mind and find a job in town, but Taeyang was only thirteen and still too young to be left home alone for too long.  


Youngbin jerked, spilling coffee all over his hand and the table, when he heard a loud knock on the front door. He stood with a frown, not expecting anyone to come visit. He motioned for Taeyang to go back to is room before opening the door. His frown morphed into a surprised gape when he took in the smiling younger boy in front of him, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Dawon?” he said.

“Hey Bin, can I come in?” Dawon said with his puppy dog eyes.  


“Of course,” Youngbin said, opening the door wider so Dawon could enter the house. He closed the door and followed the younger boy to the living room, where they both say on a cushion. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for Dawon to explain why he was here.  


“So uhhh, I know you have been collecting Heartstones alone, and I wanted to offer my help,” Dawon said, rubbing the back of his head nervously.  


“Are you crazy? What about apprenticing with your parents?” Youngbin said.  


“I never wanted that job, Bin. I don’t want to be an inventor and be stuck in a stuffy workshop all day,” Dawon said, grimacing.  


“So you thought that risking your life to collect Heartstones would be a better choice?” Youngbin said with a frown.   


“Yes actually. I’m a fast runner, and I’m agile. Plus, it would be much easier with two people collecting the stones. Also, I may be able to make us some equipment to make collecting them safer and easier,” Dawon said with a smirk.  


“You’re serious about this aren’t you?” Youngbin said, sighing.  


“Yeah. It sucks what happened with your parents, Bin. I know it can’t be easy raising Taeyang alone and collecting the stones,” Dawon said.  


“How do your parents feel about this?” Youngbin said, ignoring the part about his parents. He refused to dwell on the past, so he tried to never think about his parents.  


“They’re pissed, but you know me. I’ve always been contrary,” Dawon said with a smile.  


Youngbin snorted and said, “Contrary is putting it lightly.”  


“Yeah, well, I’ll need a place to live if you’ll let me help you. And, I won’t just help you with the stones. I’ll help you with Taeyang too,” Dawon said.  


“You just turned fifteen, Dawon,” Youngbin said.  


“Your point? I’m the same age as you were when you started this, and I would have to get a job or apprentice with my family anyway. Come on, Bin. We’ve known each other forever. Let me help you,” Dawon said with a pout.  


Youngbin studied his younger friend and noticed his tense shoulders and clenched jaw. They had indeed known each other forever, and Dawon had always been an open book to him. Though his friend was claiming to want to help him, Youngbin could tell that it would help Dawon just as much. Dawon’s parents had always provided for him, but they had also been distant because of their constant hours in the workshop. Youngbin knew that Dawon, in his own way, had also been abandoned by his parents just like he and Taeyang had been. “Okay,” Youngbin said.  


“Really?” Dawon whispered.  


“Yes. But, I want you to look at everything I’ve written about my past attempts to collect the stones, so yo can be as prepared as possible. Then, I want you to make the equipment you mentioned,” Youngbin said.  


“Yes! You won’t regret this, Bin,” Dawon said, jumping to his feet before continuing, “I’m going to go get my stuff. I’ll be back tonight!” Then, Dawon dashed out of the house.  


Youngbin sighed as the door slammed behind the younger boy. He really hoped that his enthusiasm wouldn’t lead to recklessness.

  
~*~*~*~*~

  
It had only been three months since he had agreed to let Dawon help him collect the stones, but things had already changed significantly. Dawon had sped through all the notes Youngbin had on his last two years of collecting, and then immediately went off on his first mission. The whole time Dawon had been on that initional mission, Youngbin had paced frantically, fearing what could happen to the younger boy.  


Not only was Dawon amazing at collecting the stones, but, beccause he was only two years older than Taeyang, he was a huge help with the thirteen year old. It was a huge relief having the younger boy around, for both Taeyang and Youngbin. Taeryang had someone who wouldn’t hesitate to play with him, and Youngbin no longer had to worry about leaving Taeyang home alone for long periods of time. Youngbin was extremely grateful his friend had decided to come to him instead of following in his parents’ footsteps.

  
~*~*~*~*~


	4. Chani

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dawon has been helping Youngbin for a few months now. Youngbin goes to town to trade some stones, and meets Chani.

Chapter Three

No matter how many times he went to the village to trade, Youngbin still hated it. He hated haggling for better prices for the raw stones that he and Dawon collected, and lower prices for the supplies they needed. It didn’t matter how dangerous it was to collect the stones, raw Heartstones just weren’t worth enough since getting them refined was so expensive. But, Dawon had less patience than him, and after the last time had sent Dawon to do the haggling and the younger man had come back with a third of what Youngbin usually got, Youngbin had become the designated trader.

It was just as well since Dawon actually preferred staying behind and spending time with Taeyang or training his body or tinkering and making them equipment that could help them collect the stones. Youngbin was happy to let Dawon do his thing so he could get out of the house more often. Even if that meant he had to engage in his least favorite activity. At least he got to get some fresh air, without having to risk his life while getting it, and some adult conversation.

Today, Youngbin had five stones to trade so they should have enough supplies for the foreseeable future. Maybe enough for he and Dawon to take a short break if he played his cards right. Youngbin smiled at Dawon’s parents as he passed them, and they gave him an awkward and pained smile and a small nod.

His eyes narrowed when he saw a boy, who looked to be at least a few two or three years younger than Taeyang, begging in the middle of town. The boy was standing right on the edge of the market, the busiest part of town, and he was being ignored by everyone that passed him. The boy was covered, head to toe, in dirt, and his clothes were tattered. Youngbin didn’t remember ever seeing the boy on his previous visits to town. The boy honestly looked like skin and bones, and his heart panged because he knew that he and Taeyang could have easily been in the same situation if Youngbin had been a few years younger when their fathers left them.

Youngbin greeted the merchant he usually traded the stones to as he got to his stall, and showed him how many stones he had to trade. But, his eyes kept wandering back to the young boy. “Pay no attention to him, son,” the merchant said.

Youngbin looked back at the older merchant with a frown and said, “Why?”

“He’s just begging for scraps. Been there for the past two weeks,” The older man said.

“And has anyone stopped to wonder why? To give him more than just a passing look?”

“I didn’t mean any offense,” the old man said, hands up in a placating gesture.

Youngbin barely paid attention to the merchant after that, and just accepted the small pouch of coins that he handed over. As he wandered through the market, his gaze kept flicking back to the dirty boy. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t try to help the boy. So, as he finished his shopping, he decided to approach the younger boy.

“Hi,” he said as he knelt in front of the begging boy.

“Hello, sir,” the boy whispered, refusing to meet Youngbin’s eyes.

“What’s your name,” Youngbin asked.

“Chani, sir,” the boy said.

“How old are you Chani?” Youngbin said, smiling kindly at Chani.

“I’m ten, sir,” Chani said with a small smile in return.

“Wow, ten? You’re practically grown up, huh? Where are you parents, Chani?” Youngbin said, smiling when Chani’s chest puffed up when Youngbin said he was practically grown up. But, he frowned when the boy deflated at his question.

“They died, sir,” Chani said, toeing the dirt with his tattered shoes.

“I’m sorry to hear that Chani. Do you have anyone else to take care of you,” Youngbin asked, even though he was sure he already knew the answer to that question.

“No,” Chani muttered with a pathetic sounding sniff.

Youngbin winced, having to hold himself back from just pulling the boy into his arms. “Well Chani, how would you like a warm place to live and regular meals?” Youngbin said.

“What would you want in return, sir?” Chani said, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

“Nothing Chani. And please, call me Youngbin. I just hate seeing you out here begging when I could help you. Plus, I think my younger brother could use a friend,” Youngbin said.

Chani stared up at him for a long few moments, and Youngbin felt like those wide eyes were staring into his soul, and evaluating his worth. “Okay,” Chani said.

Youngbin let out a breath he hadn’t even known he was holding. “Okay,” he said with a smile. He offered his hand to the younger boy, and sighed in relief when he took it.

~*~*~*~*~

“Youngbin! You’re home!” Dawon said as he ran to the older man and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Youngbin glared at the younger boy as he smirked at him, knowing that Dawon laid that kiss on him because he couldn’t wipe it off with his hands full. Currently, his hands were full of a, very dirty, sleeping Chani. He had asked Dawon’s parents to arrange for Youngbin’s purchases to be delivered, as he had been able to order far more than he could carry.

“Who’s this,” Dawon asked.

“This, is Chani. He’s going to be living with us from now on,” Youngbin said, sighing as he lay the too thin boy on the cushions on the floor of the common area.

“Orphan?” Dawon whispered, frowning and biting his lip.

“Yeah,” Youngbin muttered, pushing a few strands of Chani’s hair off of the boy’s face.

“Okay,” Dawon said.

Youngbin looked up at the younger boy and saw the determined set to his jaw. “Okay,” Youngbin asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

“Okay,” Dawon said, nodding. “We’ll be his family now,” Dawon said simply, before turning to leave the room, muttering as he went.

Youngbin smiled as he watched his friend go. He knew he didn’t have to worry about the younger man’s reaction. Dawon had the biggest heart out of anyone Youngbin had ever met. But, he had still had a small sliver of doubt. Wondering what the younger would think about them caring for another child, when they could barely provide for themselves. But, Youngbin knew that had more to do with his own worries than any actual doubt in Dawon accepting the boy into their makeshift family.

~*~*~*~*~


	5. Hwiyoung

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chani has been part of the small family for a few months now. On his first trip back to the market with Youngbin, he sees a dirty orphan boy that he wants to bring home.

Chapter Four

Chani had only been with them for a few months but had already worked his way into all three of their hearts. For the first two months things had been rough. They had all had to adjust to each other. Chani had taken one look at Taeyang and decided to cling to the older boy. For the first month he had hidden away in Taeyang’s room, slipping around the house like a shadow, and taking all his meals in Taeyang’s room.

Youngbin wasn’t quite sure what had changed, but after that first month Chani began to show his face outside of Taeyang’s room more and more frequently as the days and weeks passed. Just recently, Chani had jumped into Youngbin’s arms when he had returned from trading in the village, and the young boy had called him papa. Youngbin had been shocked speechless and was only able to tighten his hold on the boy and kiss his head, before the boy was wiggling out of his arms and running off.

Dawon had laughed at him and then smiled and said, “He called me daddy this morning,” before walking away and leaving Youngbin smiling stupidly in the common area.

Youngbin was happy that Chani felt so comfortable and happy with them that he had adopted Youngbin and Dawon as his parents. He was pretty sure that Dawon agreed with him that the day they added a dirty little boy to their family, was the best day of their lives so far. Taeyang had been like a ball of pure sunshine ever since Chani came into their lives, Dawon laughed and joked around more, and Youngbin knew he had also been happier and feeling lighter since he brought Chani home. There were definitely no regrets, and so far he had been able to keep his promise of a warm place to live and regular meals, and then some.

Today, after so many months away from the village that had ignored Chani’s need for help, Chani was going with Youngbin to market. The boy had been nervous at first, but Youngbin and Dawon had assured him that he was their’s now, and he wouldn’t be getting rid of them any time soon. Chani had smiled a small pleased smile before kissing them both on the cheek before bouncing off to Taeyang’s room excitedly.

Youngbin crouched down in front of Chani when they reached the edge of the market. “Now, you stay close to me. Okay Chani? I don’t want you wandering too far and getting lost, okay?” Youngbin said, pushing a stray hair out of Chani’s eye and thinking it was time the boy had a haircut.

“Okay papa,” Chani said, grinning.

Youngbin smiled and grabbed Chani’s hand in his when he stood. He led the boy through the market, towards the usual stall, and stifled a chuckle as the boy’s eyes flicked excitedly around the market. It must be such a different view now that he was trading and not begging.

“Chani, take this and go buy some snacks while I trade. Okay?” Youngbin said, handing Chani a single gold coin.

Chani’s eyes widened as he took the coin from Youngbin, then took off running. “Just to the snack stall and back Chani!” Youngbin said.

“No words old man,” he said as he turned back to face the old merchant.

“Hmm, seems like I judged that boy wrong, huh? You too. He looks happy...and healthy. That’s your doing, huh?” the old man said as Youngbin took out the stones he was going to trade.

Youngbin lay three stones on the counter and said, “He’s family now.”

“Mhm,” the old man hummed, turning one of the stones over in his hands. He recorded the size and clarity before moving on to the next stone.

“Papa!” Youngbin turned at Chani’s shout, expecting to see an excited boy with arms full of sweets, but instead he found an anxious Chani dragging a dirty boy along behind him.

“Chani, what’s going on?” Youngbin said.

Chani stopped in front of Youngbin, and the dirty boy hid behind Chani even though Chani was shorter than him. “Papa, this is Hwiyoung. Can we keep him”

“Chani!” Youngbin said, shocked. He whipped around and glared at the old merchant when he heard the other man chuckling.

“Seems like your family may be growing,” the old man said, laughing as he slid a coin pouch towards Youngbin.

Youngbin grabbed the pouch before kneeling in front of Chani. “Chani, this boy isn’t a pet. You can’t just keep him,” Youngbin said.

“But you kept me,” Chani said with a pout.

Youngbin sighed and rubbed his temples. “Chani, that’s different. You had no one to take care of you,” he said.

“Neither does Hwiyoung. His daddy died, and he’s sad and hungry just like I was,” Chani said, sniffling slightly as a tear fell down his cheek.

“Oh baby. Why didn’t you just say so?” Youngbin said, wiping Chani’s tears and kissing his cheek. He looked around Chani, at the boy that was staring straight at the ground. “Hwiyoung?” Youngbin said softly.

“It’s okay sir. I told Chani I was okay,” the boy whispered.

“Hey, no. Hwiyoung, do you have any other family who can take care of you?” Youngbin said.

“No sir,” Hwiyoung muttered.

“Alright. Would you want to come home with Chani and I? Our house is small, but it’s warm and we have plenty of food and love to share,” Youngbin said, smiling as the boy finally looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Really?” Hwiyoung whispered.

“Yes, really. No strings attached,” Youngbin said, smiling.

Hwiyoung gaped at Youngbin for a few moments before Chani, ever the impatient boy, said, “Come on Hwiyoung! Say yes!”

“Yes,” Hwiyoung whispered, flicking his gaze back down shyly.

Youngbin smiled as he stood and said, “Chani, did you buy those snacks?”

Chani looked at him with wide eyes as he shook his head and said, “I forgot.”

Youngbin laughed and said, “That’s okay. Why don’t you get you and Hwiyoung some snacks?” He put another gold coin in Chani’s hand and pushed the two wide eyed boys off in the right direction to get snacks, so Youngbin could shop in peace.

~*~*~*~*~

“So, who’s this?” Dawon said with a grin as Youngbin, Chani and Hwiyoung walked into the house.

Youngbin smiled when Hwiyoung hid behind him and stared up at Dawon with wide eyes. “This is Hwiyoung,” Youngbin said.

“Hi Hwi! Welcome to the family,” Dawon said with a smile, gasping when Hwiyoung rushed forward and wrapped himself around Dawon like an octopus. “Well, can’t say I was expecting that,” he said, patting Hwi’s head. “What do you say about a hot bath and some lunch?”

“Yes, please,” Hwiyoung muttered into Dawon’s stomach.

“Alright then,” Dawon said, turning and waddling away with Hwiyoung still wrapped around him.

“Well, that went better than I expected,” Youngbin whispered.

~*~*~*~*~


	6. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An interlude. A look at the family so far.

Chapter Five

It had been about a year since Chani had found Hwiyoung and brought him into their little family. In that time, Hwiyoung had been super attached to Dawon and followed the older man around like a duckling. He had even taken to calling Dawon dad. Chani and Hwiyoung had become inseparable and considered each other brothers and were constantly getting into mischief together.

Taeyang had distanced himself from them a little bit because he had started studying all the paperwork on Heartstones, and how to collect them, that Dawon and Youngbin had written down. He had already told them he wanted to join them in collecting stones instead of finding an apprenticeship in town next year, and the two eldest members had told him he would have to do a real apprenticeship with Dawon before they would allow him into the field. They wanted him as prepared as possible if he was going to follow in their footsteps.

“Papa?” Chani said, sitting down and watching the older man drink his coffee.

“Mhm?” Youngbin said. His eyes were barely open at the moment. Last night Dawon and he had been up late going over finances, and it hadn’t looked great. Raw Heartstones didn’t bring in enough money to support a family of five. At least not the few they could get with only one person able to be in the field at a time. Somehow, Youngbin had more work than when he collected the stones by himself. Raising three boys with someone who was barely more than a boy himself? Stressful.

“Do you and daddy not love each other?”

Youngbin choked on his coffee and started coughing. He could feel the burn all the way into his stomach. He looked at Chani with wide eyes. The eleven year old was looking at him with the most earnest confused face and Youngbin wanted to cry. He was terrible at these kinds of conversations. What was he supposed to say that an eleven year old would understand? “Ummm, why do you ask that Chani?”

The boy frowned and fiddled with the sleeves of his turtleneck sweater as he often did when he was nervous or anxious. “Well, you never kiss each other, and you don’t sleep in the same room. Tae gave me a storybook, and all the stories say that parents that love each other should do those things.”

Youngbin’s jaw dropped. His little Chani was talking about kissing and sharing a room with someone. What kind of book had Tae given his little angel?

“Oh calm down, Youngbin. I can see the overprotective part of your brain activating.” 

Youngbin looked up to see Dawon entering the room with a smirk. The younger man sat between him and Chani at the table. “Chani, bud. Your papa and I don’t like each other like that. We’re friends. Brothers, like you and Hwi.” He ruffled Chani’s hair before standing and stealing the rest of Youngbin’s coffee. He smacked the older man on the back of his head and asked, “Was that so hard?”

~*~*~*~*~

Chani didn’t believe a word Dawon said the other morning. When Youngbin had found him alone and hungry and decided to take him in, Chani had noticed the closeness between his savior and his younger partner. When one of them would come back from a collecting or trading mission, the other would be there to welcome him home with a smile and a quick kiss on the lips. Those moments as well as whispered conversations cuddled together on the cushions in the common area had lasted about a year before Chani noticed a change in his father figures’ relationship.

The two still greeted each other when they returned from missions, but the kisses stopped and were replaced with awkward and tense hugs and pats on the back. The cuddling had stopped, and been replaced with a good two feet between each other when they sat together. Now, Chani figured that when he had brought Hwi home last year, the two men had decided that raising three boys was more important than their happiness.

In no way did Chani think it was possible the two men didn’t love each other. Not with the looks they sent each other when they thought the other wasn’t looking, and not with the way they overreacted to touching each other, especially when he and Hwi were in the room with them. Chani was determined to see his daddy and papa happy, and was going to do whatever he could to get them to see it was okay to be a little selfish.

~*~*~*~*~

Chani was super proud of himself. He had created a master plan to get his daddy and papa together. First, he would give them little gifts, as if they were from each other. Then, he would trick them into romantic situations. And, if all else fails, he would lock them in a room together. That would definitely work. He had set his plan in motion last week, and the two men didn’t seem to suspect a thing.

“Chani.” Chani looked up from the notes he was taking on the two men’s reactions to the gifts they had received, and saw Taeyang leaning against the wall next to his desk. Apparently he had been so lost in his notes he hadn’t even heard Tae enter his room, let alone get so close to him.

“Hi Tae,” Chani said. He casually flipped his notes over so Tae couldn’t read them.

“Chani, you need to stop what you’re doing. You’re making things awkward and uncomfortable for Youngbin and Dawon,” Tae said. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was frowning at the younger boy, but his tone was soft.

“What are you talking about,” Chani asked. He gave Taeyang his best innocent and confused look with wide eyes and his lips slightly parted.

“Whatever you think you are accomplishing with Youngbin and Dawon, You’re wrong. They don’t love each other in the way you seem to think they do,” Tae said.

“But I saw,” Chani started, but was interrupted by Tae raising a hand to silence him.

“Whatever you thought you saw, isn’t what you think it is. You hid away in my room for months after Youngbin brought you home. You only came out for meals, and when you needed hugs from Dawon and Youngbin.”

Chani huffed and said, “I saw them kissing and snuggling Tae.”

Tae moved forward and crouched down in front of the younger boy’s chair. He gripped Chani’s hand and said, “I know you have this dream of a perfect fairy-tale family, but Youngbin and Dawon are like brothers. How would you feel if Hwiyoung wanted to kiss you?”

Chani grimaced and said, “Gross!”

Taeyang laughed and stood, ruffling Chani’s hair. “Exactly,” he said. He grabbed Chani’s notes off the desk, folded them and placed them in his pants pocket. “Now, stop putting those idiots in awkward situations. Their reactions are killing me.”

Chani frowned as Tae left his room. Maybe Tae was right? Maybe Dawon and Youngbin didn’t love each other like that? Yet! Chani knew they were meant to be together, but maybe they needed to figure that out for themselves? Chani would stop interfering and let the two figure it out naturally.

~*~*~*~*~


	7. Inseong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inseong comes knocking at the family's door.

Chapter Six

Youngbin was gathering up the stones he was going to trade in the market today, when there was a knock at the front door. “Don’t answer that door,” Youngbin said to the lanky, long-haired boy that went running past him. Hwiyoung groaned and turned, stomping back into the kitchen to finish his breakfast. Youngbin chuckled at the boy’s antics as he walked over to the front door. He opened the door and frowned at the tall guy that he had certainly never seen before. “Can I help you,” Youngbin asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

“Hi! Umm, yeah. I heard you guys collect the stones that are traded in town, and I wanted to offer my services,” the tall redhead said nervously.

“We don’t need any help collecting the stones,” Youngbin said, moving to close the door.

“Wait!” the redhead said, grabbing the door. “I apprenticed as a refiner and medic. I’m offering you my services in those areas. If you sell potions instead of raw stones, you’ll make far more when you trade in the market,” he said.

“You have my attention,” Youngbin said, opening the door wider and motioning for the man to come inside. He motioned for the taller man to take a seat in the common area before he yelled to Hwiyoung. “Hwi, go get Dawon and tell him to come here.”

“But he’s training Tae,” Hwi said as he came to stand in the doorway.

“I know, but we have a guest, and he’ll want to be here for this. Just tell him I said it was urgent,” Youngbin said.

“Okay,” the boy said before scurrying off towards the back door.

“It’ll only be a few minutes wait. Would you like some tea?” Youngbin said, turning towards the redhead.

“Oh, no. Thank you,” the redhead said, rubbing his neck nervously.

“No problem,” Youngbin said, sitting down across from the redhead.

The redhead jumped when the back door slammed open, and Youngbin rolled his eyes as Dawon shouted, “What’s so urgent that I had to stop Taeyang’s training? He’s going to be sulking for the rest of the day.” Dawon paused in the doorway when he noticed Youngbin wasn’t alone and said, “What’s going on? Who’s this?”

“My name is Inseong,” the redhead said.

“Right, can you tell Dawon what you told me,” Youngbin asked.

“Of course!” Inseong said with a smile. “I apprenticed as a Heartstone refiner and medic. I heard that you two collect the stones that are traded in town, and wanted to offer my services. You can make a lot more money selling my potions than you can selling the raw stones.”

“Why should we trust you,” Dawon asked.

“I know there are a lot of raiders outside of the village, but I’m not a crook. Actually, your father is the one who told me where to find you Dawon,” Inseong said.

“My father sent you,” Dawon asked skeptically.

“Yeah. He wasn’t exactly excited about giving me the information, but I eventually convinced him. I think my training as a medic reassured him. I think he hoped that I would keep you from getting yourself killed,” Inseong said.

Youngbin sighed and said, “It would be worth it to be sure we can better provide for Tae, Hwi and Chani.”

Dawon frowned and said, “I know. You’re right. But, only if he’s willing to learn to collect the stones too, and live here. I’d rather keep an eye on him. At least at first. Also, I don’t want Tae out too soon because he is far too eager, and that could get him killed. It would be nice to have three people who can collect stones though. Two can collect while one stays home with the boys. It’ll be far more efficient.”

“I would be willing to learn, and living here isn’t a problem. My father isn’t exactly happy that I decided to approach you, since it will take some business from him,” Inseong said.

“Well then, the extra room is yours then,” Youngbin said.

“Welcome to the family,” Dawon said with a huge grin.

“Thank you,” Inseong said, sounding more like a question than a statement.

~*~*~*~*~


	8. Inseong--Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inseong settling in. A year since he came knocking at their door.

Chapter Seven

About a year had passed since Inseong had come to their door, seeking a job. Since then, things had been better than they had been in years. Inseong was correct when he said they would make far more by trading his potions instead of just the raw stones. The first time Youngbin had gone to market to trade the potions Inseong had made from their collected stones, Youngbin had been skeptical. But, he had been left gaping at the large amount of coins he had been given. The old man had grinned at him and congratulated him on his family growing bigger again.

That day, Youngbin had been able to get the boys some much needed new clothes and shows, as well as things for Dawon and him in addition to their usual provisions. When he had returned home and explained what all he had been able to buy, Dawon had excitedly grabbed Inseong in a crushing hug before skipping off to tell the boys the news.

A few months ago they had finished building an addition onto the house, and now they had a little infirmary and workshop for Inseong to work in. When Inseong explained that eventually refiners went blind due to working so closely with the stones for so long, Dawon had sat down to figure out how to prevent that from happening. Just last month, the younger man had finished creating the first pair of goggles that could protect a refiner’s eyes from damage. He had also created cases for the Heartstones that would protect them from the stones’ influences when they collected them.

Now, they no longer had to worry about a stone’s corruption or money, and Youngbin was beginning to fear that they were becoming too complacent. There was a gnawing in his gut that told him something bad was going to happen, but Dawon told him he was just being his usual protective and paranoid self, so Youngbin kept these persistent feelings to himself.

~*~*~*~*~

Chani officially hated Inseong. The man had only started working for his parents a few months ago, but Chani already wanted him gone. Ever since the older man appeared, his dad had been falling over himself to get the older man to notice him in some way. And Inseong was definitely taking notice, and Chani hated it.

The two men were doing exactly what Chani had kept hoping Dawon and Youngbin would do, and it was frustrating. Inseong and Dawon would steal glances at each other when the other wasn’t looking. Inseong would laugh at Dawon’s stupid jokes and ridiculous antics, and Dawon would blush and get flustered when Inseong complimented him.

Youngbin’s reaction to the older man was just as frustrating to Chani. His papa seemed to really like the guy and enjoy his company. Even Taeyang and Hwiyoung had taken to the new addition quickly. Chani couldn’t stand it. He had taken to glaring at the man whenever they were in the same room. He could tell he was making the older man uncomfortable, and it made Chani feel accomplished.

Chani yawned as he shuffled into the kitchen to get something for breakfast, and grumbled when he saw Inseong taking a seat between Tae and Youngbin. He quietly grabbed milk from the fridge and poured himself a glass before pretending to leave the room. Really, he hid right outside the door so he could overhear their conversation. Too many of Inseong’s conversations were about Dawon, and Chani wanted to know what Inseong was going to say about his dad.

“Dawon is so klutzy,” Inseong said.

“What are you talking about?” Tae said.

“He is constantly falling down and getting scraped up,” Inseong said.

“Ummm, Dawon is pretty graceful. He never trips,” Youngbin said.

Chani frowned. That was true. Dawon never tripped. He was pretty light on his feet, and graceful, like his papa said. It’s why he was such a good runner.

“He’s in my infirmary every other day with scrapes he said he got from being clumsy,” Inseong said.

“Oh, I see,” Tae and Youngbin said together.

Chani didn’t care to hear any more, and walked back to his room, silently fuming the whole way. He also knew what Youngbin and Taeyang had obviously figured out. Dawon had a crush on Inseong. He wasn’t sure his dad even knew he had a crush, but now his family did. Chani now had a bigger reason to hate Inseong, and he was determined to ‘encourage’ the man to leave.

~*~*~*~*~

“How long was Dawon supposed to be gone for? Shouldn’t someone go looking for him?” Inseong said, continuing to pace like he had been doing since Dawon missed his ‘scheduled’ return two hours ago.

Youngbin sighed, massaging his temples and saying, “He probably ran into some kind of obstacle we didn’t account for,” as he had said a million times already.

Inseong stopped his pacing and faced Youngbin with a frown. “And, what if that obstacle caused him not to be able to return? He could be dying as we speak!”

Youngbin winced as the man’s voice rose in pitch as he yelled. “Chani is already freaking out, please keep your voice down.”

Inseong sighed and dropped gracelessly onto one of the cushions on the floor. “Sorry. I’m just worried.”

Youngbin smiled at the man and said, “You haven’t been here long enough to see this, but Dawon is often late coming back from missions that he goes on alone.”

“Still, he shouldn’t have gone alone. Not now that I’m here. He couldn’t have waited until I got back from the village?” Inseong said.

Both men leapt to their feet when the door to headquarters slammed open and Dawon stumbled through the open door. Inseong gasped as he saw the tears in Dawon’s coat, and the burns on the revealed skin. His clothes were in tatters and there was too much blood for comfort. Dawon took a step towards the two older men before his knees gave out and he collapsed. He cried out when he caught himself with his right hand. His left was tucked close to his chest in a makeshift sling, and his right was covered in burns.

Inseong rushed over and fell to his knees in front of the younger man. Youngbin heard rapid footsteps approaching the common area, and rushed to stop the boys from entering the room and seeing the state Dawon was in. “Is Dawon back,” Chani asked, stumbling forward when Hwiyoung crashed into him from behind.

“He is, but he was injured on his mission. I need you to be quiet and stay out of the way as Inseong takes care of him, okay?” Youngbin said. He looked back to see that Inseong had somehow gotten Dawon to their little infirmary on his own. He moved out of the doorway to let them into the common area. Both boys rushed forward and sat on a cushion, squishing together for comfort. They both kept glancing towards the infirmary where they could hear Inseong rummaging around for supplies.

Inseong opened the door and looked out. He caught Youngbin’s eye and said, “I’m going to need an extra set of hands.”

Youngbin rushed to join Inseong in the infirmary. When he entered, he was able to see the true extent of Dawon’s injuries. Before he could stop himself he said, “Is he going to be able to survive this?”

Inseong’s head whipped up from where he was cutting the rest of Dawon’s clothes off of him and gave Youngbin a sharp look. “If I have anything to say about it? Yes! Now, wash your hands and get ready to take orders.”

~*~*~*~*~

Several hours later, Youngbin stumbled out of the tiny infirmary. Chani jumped up and rushed to the man’s side, Hwiyoung not far behind him. His papa was paler than he’s ever seen him, even more than that time his papa had a stomach bug for three days. “Papa? Is daddy going to be okay?”

“He’s going to be fine, Chani,” Youngbin said. The man hugged Chani tightly, and Chani felt the fine tremors wracking his papa’s body. Chani could tell that whatever had happened in the infirmary hadn’t been good. Youngbin pulled back from hugging Chani, and pulled Hwi into a hug. “I’m going to go shower and change. Let me know if Inseong comes out,” Youngbin said, pulling back from hugging Hwi. He pushed the boy’s hair behind his ears, giving him a small smile.

It was at that moment that Chani noticed that his papa’s clothes were covered in dried blood. Chani felt faint and collapsed against Hwiyoung as Youngbin left the common area. Hwiyoung hugged the younger boy fiercely before helping him back over to the cushions. “It’s going to be okay,” Hwi whispered. Chani couldn’t tell if Hwi was saying that to reassure Chani, himself, or both.

Both boys jumped when they heard the tell-tale squeak of the infirmary door opening. Inseong walked out and looked straight at the two boys with a shaky smile. “Dawon’s going to be fine,” he said.

Hwiyoung jumped up and ran off in the direction of the bedrooms. Chani assumed he was going to tell Youngbin that Inseong had come out. Chani looked back to Inseong when he heard a thud, and he saw the older man with his back against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor. He was staring at his hands, which Chani could see wouldn’t stop shaking. The older man drew in a shuddering breath then covered his mouth with one shaking hand to stifle a sob.

Chani jumped to his feet and rushed over to the man. He fell to his knees and drew the older man forward into a hug. Inseong’s arms wrapped around Chani, and his hands gripped the back of his shirt tightly. He buried his face in the boys shoulder and sobbed.

Inseong’s whole body shook as he cried, and Chani’s whole world view was shifting as he comforted the man. This man, who Chani knew cared deeply for his dad, had kept calm while caring for the injured man. Only breaking down once he was sure the man he cared for would survive. Chani could admire the strength it took for the man to do what he did, as well as the obvious skill. Maybe his dream of a fairy-tale family could include a loving and brave stepfather?

~*~*~*~*~


	9. Jaeyoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaeyoon's father owns a farm that isn't doing too well, and is looking for work anywhere he can find it. Youngbin offers him a job for as long as he wants it.

Chapter Eight

Dawon had only been cleared a week ago to be up and walking around. He still wasn’t allowed to go out collecting, so Youngbin and Inseong had been doing the collecting for the past month while Dawon was recovering. Ever since Inseong had cleared him, Dawon had been following Inseong around trying to show how grateful he was for the older man saving his life.

Inseong was happy the younger man was doing better, but his insistence on showing his gratitude was kind of confusing Inseong. At first, he had thought Dawon was being so kind because he returned Inseong’s affections, but his continued actions made Inseong begin to doubt that.

Sighing, Inseong grabbed the last stone from this month’s collections, to begin the refinement process. He adjusted his goggles to make sure they were properly in place. He jumped, giving an undignified squeak when the door creaked open. He hadn’t been expecting any visitors today considering he had told everyone he would be busy all day.

“Hey,” Dawon said, coming to stand beside Inseong.

“You’re lucky you’re still young enough to not be affected by the stones, or I’d be scolding you for coming in here while I’m working,” Inseong said.

“I know you’re busy, but could you look at me for a second? I have something important to say,” Dawon said with a sigh.

Inseong frowned and placed the stone in a protective case before turning to look at the younger man. Instead of the younger’s usual carefree smile, he was looking all too serious and it worried Inseong. “Is someone hurt,” Inseong asked.

Dawon gave a short laugh and said, “No. No one is hurt.”

“Then why do you look so serious? It’s freaking me out,” Inseong said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Dawon smiled and said, “I can be serious when it’s important.”

Inseong rose an eyebrow skeptically. “Mhm,” he hummed noncommittally.

“Rude,” Dawon said, gasping in mock offense. “But really, this is important. I really like you Inseong. I think I have since you first joined us here, but I was too afraid to admit it. But then, I almost died, and you saved my life, and it made me realize I could have died without ever telling you.”

Inseong gaped at the younger man as he blushed and looked down at his feet. “Wait, you like me?” Inseong whispered.

“Yeah,” Dawon said simply.

“Wow,” Inseong muttered.

“Wow,” Dawon asked, raising his head to glance at Inseong, trying to gauge what his reaction meant.

“Yeah, wow. I never expected you felt the same way about me as I do about you,” Inseong muttered softly.

“Wait, really?” Dawon said with his usual huge grin.

“Yeah,” Inseong said with a smile, feeling mortified by the heat he could feel starting to spread over his cheeks.

“Yes!” Dawon said, raising his fist in the air.

“You’re an idiot,” Inseong muttered.

“But you like me anyway,” Dawon said with a cheeky smile.

“Yeah, I do,” Inseong said.

~*~*~*~*~

Youngbin looked around the market as the old merchant counted out his coins for the potions he brought today. His eyes landed on a black-haired man carrying two large sacks of grain into market from a rickety wagon. He had never seen the man in all the years he had been trading in the market. “Who’s he,” he asked the merchant.

The old man looked in the direction Youngbin was pointing and said, “Ahh, that’s Jaeyoon. His old man owns a farm outside of town. Apparently, they’re not doing too well though. Boy’s been looking for any work he can find lately.”

“Really?” Youngbin said. His eyes narrowed as he took in the other man’s strong arms and broad shoulders.

The old man chuckled and said, “Going to grow that family of yours again today?”

“Shut it old man,” Youngbin said with a scowl, grabbing the coin purse before heading in Jaeyoon’s direction. As he approached, the other man turned to look at him, wiping sweat from his brow.

“Can I help you,” Jaeyoon said as Youngbin stopped in front of him.

“I heard you’re looking for work,” Youngbin said.

Jaeyoon raised a brow and said, “Yes?”

“Well, my family collects Heartstones and sells potions here in the village. We could use help from someone as strong as you look,” Youngbin said with a smile.

“How long is the job offer for,” Jaeyoon asked.

“As long as you want it,” he said.

Jaeyoon gaped at him. “Really,” he asked.

“Really,” he said, grinning. “There’s also a place to stay included in the offer if you want it.”

“I would need to come back frequently to help my father,” Jaeyoon said.

“That’s fine. We’ll even help you out when we can,” Youngbin offered.

“You have yourself a deal,” Jaeyoon said, thrusting his hand out for Youngbin to shake.

Youngbin shook Jaeyoon’s hand and said, “Welcome to the family,” knowing Dawon would be so annoyed that Youngbin had stolen his line.

~*~*~*~*~


	10. Rowoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Youngbin comes across Rowoon, and of course offers the boy a job and a home.

Chapter Nine

When Youngbin had offered Jaeyoon a job five months ago, he had never thought that the younger man would integrate into their little family, and their business, so easily or so quickly. The man was sweet, funny, and just as strong as Youngbin had originally thought, if not stronger. It had taken less than a month for Dawon to declare that the man was more than ready to join them in the field, and the man had proven his worth on multiple occasions. He was just as fast as Youngbin, but stronger than either him or Dawon.

Inseong was grateful for Jaeyoon joining them on missions, because it meant he could spend more time focusing on refining the stones. Youngbin was happy because the younger man got along well with Dawon and was great with the boys as well.

A few months ago, Hwiyoung had come to Youngbin and Dawon, and declared an interest in apprenticing with Dawon. Youngbin hadn’t been shocked at all. He had known from the first day he brought Hwi home, and the boy had clung to Dawon instantly, that the boy would always follow Dawon’s footsteps no matter where they led him. Dawon though? Dawon had exploded at Hwiyoung’s declaration. He hadn’t even reacted that badly when Taeyang had decided to follow their footsteps.

Youngbin had to take Dawon aside, and make him see that if he refused Hwi’s wishes, then the boy would more than likely go out collecting on his own, without any training, and wasn’t it better if Dawon at least trained him? Dawon had sighed and agreed and told Hwi he had to start the same way Taeyang had, reading all the paperwork on past missions, especially the failures. Hwi had hugged Dawon and thanked him profusely before running off to find the other boys.

Recently, just last week in fact, Hwiyoung had finished reading all the reports, and Dawon had agreed it was time to begin his physical training, alongside Taeyang. So, Inseong would have to start joining Youngbin and Jaeyoon on missions for the foreseeable future. They had agreed, when Jaeyoon joined them in the field, that they would always collect in a squad of three from now on. It would keep incidents, like Dawon’s near fatal mission, from happening ever again. Hopefully.

~*~*~*~*~

Youngbin waved goodbye to Yoonie and Chani. Youngbin was in town to trade, and Chani was tagging along with Jaeyoon to help at his father’s farm. Youngbin smiled as Chani grabbed Jaeyoon’s hand and looked up at the older man with wide eyes. That was one of the boys that he had been surprised to find had accepted Jaeyoon so readily. Considering how resistant Chani had been to Inseong joining them, Youngbin had expected him to treat Jaeyoon the same way but was pleasantly surprised at the youngest’s acceptance of the man.

As Youngbin walked toward the old merchant’s stall, he felt a slight touch where he kept his coins. He made sure not to react outwardly but kept his eyes out for whoever had just picked his pocket. He saw a tall, black-haired boy in his peripheral vision. He turned his head slightly and watched the boy slip into an alley stealthily. Youngbin frowned before turning to follow the tall boy.

“Hey!” he called out as he entered the alley and saw the boy huddling in a shadowed corner. The boy’s head whipped up to look at him with wide eyes. “It’s okay,” Youngbin said when the boy started looking around frantically. Probably looking for an exit.

“What do you want?” the boy said, raising his chin defiantly.

Youngbin rose a brow and said, “Why don’t you tell me why you’re picking pockets, and how long you’ve been doing it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the boy said with wide eyes.

“Mhm. You’re good. I’ll give you that. You’ve probably never been caught, huh?” Youngbin said with a smile.

The boy sighed and shook his head. “No,” he said, standing and approaching Youngbin slowly, cautiously. “You can have your coins back,” he said, holding out a hand full of a few copper pieces. That was barely enough to buy the boy bread, let alone enough to replace the threadbare and dirty clothes the boy was wearing.

Youngbin noticed that, though the clothes were obviously not long enough for the boy’s tall frame, they hung off his body like he was far too skinny for his height. “Keep them,” Youngbin said.

“Really,” the boy said with wide eyes.

“Yeah, but tell me something, huh?” Youngbin said.

“Sure,” the boy said, putting the coins in a pocket of his too-short pants.

“Do you like stealing from others,” Youngbin asked.

“No. I do it to survive. I learned pretty young that begging will get you nowhere. No one cares about a dirty, hungry kid that isn’t theirs,” the boy muttered.

“What’s your name kid,” Youngbin asked.

“Rowoon,” the boy whispered.

“Well Rowoon, how would you like a job? A warm place to live?” Youngbin offered.

“What’s the catch,” the boy asked, narrowing his eyes at Youngbin.

“Well, what we do is pretty dangerous, so you’ll have to apprentice with my friend,” Youngbin admitted.

“Y’all raiders?” Rowoon said with a frown, crossing his arms over his chest.

Youngbin laughed and said, “No, nothing like that. We collect Heartstones.”

“Ohhh, y’all are those crazy guys the villagers whisper about,” Rowoon said.

“I guess so,” Youngbin muttered, frowning.

“I guess anything is better than starving ‘til I can make enough to buy some stale bread,” Rowoon said, sighing.

Youngbin grinned and said, “You won’t regret this.”

“I hope you’re right,” Rowoon muttered, following Youngbin out of the alley with a frown.

~*~*~*~*~

“You just can’t resist bringing home strays, can you?” Dawon said with a grin. He was leaning against the kitchen doorway as Youngbin led Rowoon into the common area.

“You should just expect this by now,” Youngbin said, rubbing his neck sheepishly.

“Oh, I do. What is this now? Eight of us living in this tiny house? The boys already share the common area so us adults can have our own rooms. They’re going to freak,” Dawon said, still grinning widely. He winked at the tall boy reassuringly.

“I was thinking we could build onto the house like we did for the infirmary,” Youngbin said.

“I’m all for it. You know that,” Dawon said.

“Yeah, I know,” Youngbin said with an appreciative smile. “This is Rowoon by the way.”

“Hi,” the boy said with a small, shy smile.

“Hi! Welcome to the family,” Dawon said sincerely.

“Thank you,” Rowoon whispered.

“Did you at least get him some new clothes while you were in town? He’s taller than everyone. I think even Inseong’s clothes won’t fit him,” Dawon said, frowning slightly.

“Of course I did,” Youngbin said, handing a package to the surprised boy who just gaped as he took it.

“Thank you,” Rowoon whispered.

“You’re welcome,” Youngbin said, smiling.

“So, I guess this means he’s joining Hwi and Tae’s training,” Dawon asked his friend.

“Can you handle that,” Youngbin asked, smirking.

Dawon scowled at him and glared, saying, “Of course I can. Come on Rowoon. I’ll introduce you to the boys.” He motioned for Rowoon to follow him before making his way to the back door. He was pretty sure the boys were going to love having another boy to train with them. Dawon was already thinking about training the three of them as a second squad. It would be perfect.

~*~*~*~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last person added to the family. Don't worry, I didn't forget about Zuho. He comes in later, in the main part of the story. He has an interesting role. Please look out for him lol. Also, yay for SF9 first and second win! So proud of them and Fantasy.


	11. Chani's Apprenticeship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chani turns 15 and decides who he wants to apprentice with.

Chapter Ten

Dawon scowled as he tossed a considerably large sized pile of files onto Youngbin’s desk. “I still can’t believe you made me start writing progress reports for the boys’ training,” he said.

“You wanted Hwi to have a real apprenticeship didn’t you,” Youngbin asked. He smirked at his friend as the younger man growled.

“You need new material Bin. Stop using Hwi against me all the time,” Dawon said before stalking out of the room.

Youngbin sighed and shook his head as he dragged the pile of folders towards him. Since Rowoon had joined them a year ago, Dawon had started training the boys as an auxiliary squad. So far, things had been going well. The three boys got along almost too well. It was like they had known each other for years. Rowoon also seemed to have a soft spot for Chani and would tease him like a little brother. It was, quite frankly, adorable to see the giant of a boy dote on the youngest boy. It had gone a long way in establishing Rowoon as an important and beloved member of their little family.

A few months ago, Chani had turned fifteen, and Youngbin and Dawon were nervously awaiting a declaration of his desired apprenticeship. Youngbin feared the youngest would follow his brothers’ examples and want to apprentice with Dawon. He knew Dawon would throw a fit if he did, too. Youngbin sighed again and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he stressed about the boy he loved like a son.

He looked up when there was a knock at his door and saw Chani entering and dragging a grumbling Dawon behind him. The boy pushed Dawon down onto a chair in front of Youngbin’s desk and gazed at the man with wide eyes until the man caved and sighed, saying, “Okay, okay. I’m here. I’m listening.”

Chani grinned and sat in the seat next to Dawon, turning his gaze to Youngbin who just raised an eyebrow in question. “So, I’ve known for a few years now what I want to apprentice as, but I wanted to take the last few months to think about it again and be a hundred percent sure it’s what I really want,” he said.

Dawon sighed and said, “Am I going to have to train another one of my sons to go out and get himself killed?”

“Um, no. But I’ll be sure to tell Hwi how confident you are in his abilities,” Chani said with a smirk.

Youngbin laughed when Dawon squeaked and muttered, “You little shit."

“He gets it from you,” Youngbin said, smiling when Dawon glared at him.

“Anyway,” Chani said. He rolled his eyes at them before quickly continuing, “I want to apprentice with Inseong. He already said yes and was actually pretty excited.”

“What!” Dawon asked, jumping up from his chair.

Chani’s eyes widened and he said, “Why are you upset? I thought you’d be happy.”

“Happy?” Dawon demanded.

“Yeah,” Chani said softly.

“Happy that my little angel wants to work even closer with the stones than I do?” Dawon hissed.

“I didn’t think about it that way,” Chani muttered, eyes beginning to glisten with threatening tears.

“Woah woah. Dawon, sit down, calm down and breathe before I kick your ass,” Youngbin said, glaring at the younger man. He nodded as Dawon sat down with a grumble. “Dawon, Chani wants to apprentice with your boyfriend instead of wanting to collect Heartstones. You should be happy. Chani, he’s just worried about you.”

Dawon clicked his tongue and looked away with a huff. Chani sighed and said, “I know, but this job basically has no risk now with all the tech you made dad.”

Dawon sighed and said, “I know, but I would worry about you even if all you did was paperwork all day.”

Chani smiled and said, “Well I’m sure Inseong can protect me from paper-cuts or any other dangers I may encounter in his stuffy workshop.”

Dawon rolled his eyes, saying, “I’m more worried about him in that stuffy workshop than you.”

“Okay! So, Chani has an apprenticeship,” Youngbin said, interrupting them before they could begin discussing the best way to prank Inseong.

“Yes!” Chani said excitedly, kissing both men on the cheek before running out of the room.

“That boy is going to give me grey hairs,” Dawon muttered.

“You’re nineteen Dawon. Stop being dramatic,” Youngbin said, smirking as the other man glared at him as he left the office.

~*~*~*~*~


	12. Training

Chapter Eleven

It had taken Jaeyoon some time to notice what was going on with their leader, but once he had noticed he couldn’t un-see it. Before Rowoon had joined and Dawon had started training him, Hwi and Tae to be a second squad, when it was just the four eldest members going on missions, it was normal for all of them to be exhausted after missions. Back then, many mistakes were still being made, so all of them would come home with bumps and bruises from the missions.

Now though, they had more members, and some of the physical burden had been taken off Youngbin’s shoulders. Jaeyoon first noticed the amount of stress and guilt Youngbin was bottling up, when Dawon came back from a mission with a crushed leg. He had gone on a mission with the boys so they could practice as a squad, and something had gone horribly wrong.

Hwiyoung had apparently touched something he shouldn’t have, and an unstable part of the cave they were in had begun to collapse. In his desperation to save his protégé and surrogate son, Dawon had pushed Hwiyoung out of the way, and his leg had been trapped under the rubble of the collapse in the process. Hwiyoung, Rowoon and Taeyang had managed to dig Dawon out and then drag him back to headquarters. When Youngbin had seen his brother in all but blood dragged into headquarters barely conscious, he had lost his usual calm and screamed at the younger members. As Inseong had scrambled to refine the stone, they had still managed to return with, into a potion to heal Dawon, Youngbin had lectured the youngest about how accidents like this were avoidable if they paid attention to their training, and how he wasn’t sure if he could ever trust them in the field alone. Hwiyoung had cried from the stress of seeing his father figure so injured and knowing it was his fault, and from disappointing Youngbin. Youngbin had later apologized to the younger members for his harsh words.

From then on, Yoonie had noticed Youngbin’s exhaustion and the dark bags under his eyes. The only thing Yoonie could think to do is corner the older member in these stressful moments and force him to take the comfort Yoonie was offering. The older man never came to him on his own with his problems, even if Yoonie wished he would, and tried to make it clear that he was always there for the older man.

~*~*~*~*~

Youngbin had noticed the change in Jaeyoon immediately. How could he not? No one had ever offered him comfort for the stress he took on as leader, not even Dawon. The younger man had his hands full training everyone. So, if anything, Youngbin was always offering his support to the younger man who had even more on his plate than him. But Yoonie? Yoonie seemed to notice how every failed mission or injury weighed on Youngbin’s mind and came to him to offer his support. The younger man seemed to know instinctively if Youngbin needed physical comfort, someone to talk to or with, or just a silent calming presence in nearby.

Youngbin was so grateful for the man’s support. There were moments where Yoonie wasn’t there to witness something that stressed Youngbin out, and the older man wanted to go to him, seeking out the younger’s presence on his own terms, but he never could take that step. He worried that he would be taking advantage of the younger man’s kindness and didn’t want to burden him.

So, Youngbin continued bottling his stress, worry and exhaustion, and took Yoonie’s comfort and support when it was offered to him. And, he subtly showed how grateful he was by getting Yoonie special gifts when he went to the villages to trade.

~*~*~*~*~

“Why does Taeyang get to go on real missions and we don’t,” Hwiyoung asked, arms crossed over his chest as he scowled at his dad.

“Because he has been training longer than both of you,” Dawon said with a frown.

“Not that much longer,” Hwi said.

“Hwi chill. We’ll be out in the field soon,” Rowoon said, elbowing the younger boy.

“Don’t act wise. You were complaining before my dad got here,” Hwi said, huffing and rolling his eyes at the older boy.

“See, this is why Tae goes on missions and you two don’t,” Dawon said. Both boys looked at him with scrunched brows and Dawon sighed. “You’re too eager. That mindset will only get you injured or killed. Tae is never eager to go on a mission, and so I trust him to go out and make smart decisions and keep our gamily safe while he’s working with them.”

“Sorry dad,” Hwi muttered, blushing in shame.

“Sorry Dawon,” Rowoon said with a frown.

Dawon sighed and said, “Don’t worry. You will be out on missions before you know it. I just want to make sure you won’t die when you do.”

~*~*~*~*~

“I’m really proud of you Chani. You’ve memorized nearly all the potions formulas you will need to make most frequently,” Inseong said with a huge grin.

“Well, you said if I did, then you would start training me in healing early,” Chani said, blushing at his mentor’s praise.

“I’m just really impressed. It took me three years to memorize them all, and you did it in two,” Inseong said.

“Thank you,” Chani whispered shyly.

“Well, looks like starting today you’ll learn how to put those potions to use as well as deal with things the potions can’t fix on their own,” Inseong said, grabbing three huge books out of a cabinet and dropping them on the table in front of Chani. “First, read these,” he said with a smirk.

“Seriously,” Chani asked with wide eyes.

Inseong laughed, eyes sparkling as he said, “Yep. To use the potions most effectively, you need to understand how each interacts with the human body.”

Chani sighed and said, “I hate you.” He dropped his forehead to rest on the stack of books with a groan.

“I love you too,” Inseong said in a sing-song voice, ruffling the younger’s hair with a proud smile.

~*~*~*~*~


	13. Secrets Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title says it all?

Chapter Twelve

Youngbin was recording the amount of money they made in the village most recently, when he heard shouts coming from the main area of the compound. He stood so quickly that his chair toppled over and smacked against the ground with a loud crack. Youngbin barely noticed this as he rushed out to see what all the commotion was about.

What he saw made his heart drop into his stomach. Dawon was carrying a moaning Taeyang and shouting for Inseong as he rushed towards their little infirmary. Unfortunately, Inseong had gone to the village with Jaeyoon to trade for supplies he needed and to help Jaeyoon’s father with his farm.

Youngbin rushed forward to help Dawon lower Taeyang gently to the bed. He gasped when he saw the glowing red stone impaling his younger brother’s thigh. He looked up to Dawon and said, “What happened?”

Dawon gritted his teeth and replied, “The mission was going well. B Squad did everything they should. But there was a small earthquake. Completely unpredictable for that area. Tae got caught in a small tunnel collapse. Unfortunately, he was the collector for this mission and the stone slipped from his hand. Now, where’s Inseong? Tae’s been exposed for longer than I’m comfortable with.”

Youngbin carded his fingers through Taeyang’s hair and shushed him when he moaned. “He went to the village to trade. He and Yoonie left this morning,” he said.

“What? Damn it! Do we have any of his potions stocked,” Dawon asked as he rushed to search through the few cabinets lining the walls of Inseong’s tiny infirmary and cursed when he found no potions strong enough for an injury this grave.

“How long has he been exposed? Can he wait until Inseong returns,” Youngbin asked as he accepted the wet rag Dawon handed him, beginning to wipe Tae’s sweaty brow.

“It took us two hours to dig him out, and five to drag him back to headquarters. The other two sustained minor injuries in the cave-in as well. So, it was slow going. What about Chani? Do you think he’s ready for something of this magnitude? He’s been training with Inseong for three years now, right?” Dawon said, pacing as he spoke.

“Four years! And I can definitely do this. I won’t let my brother die if I can do anything to stop it,” Chani said, rushing into the infirmary. He checked Tae’s pulse and sucked in a breath in alarm. “We need to get the stone out of his leg, it’s killing him. Dad, I’m going to write down some ingredients I need you to gather. I know you’re injured, but you’re our fastest runner.”

“I’ll get them as fast as I can,” Dawon said. He snatched the paper from Chani as soon as he turned around with it. He met Youngbin’s gaze and said, “I promise!” and took off running faster than they had seen him run outside of training.

“Papa,” Chani said, getting Youngbin’s attention. “This is going to be a long and painful process. Will you be able to handle it?”

“I’ll do what I have to do to save Tae’s life,” Youngbin said.

Chani nodded and proceeded to gather the supplies he would need to get the stone out of Tae’s thigh as painlessly as possible. That was only the beginning of the process. Chani would need those supplies from Dawon to be able to process the stone into a potion strong enough to keep the leg from getting infected and to counter the effects the stone had on Taeyang. Chani took a steadying breath before confidently approaching his patient.

~*~*~*~*~

Youngbin sighed and collapsed onto the chair by Tae’s bed. His body was exhausted from all the adrenaline that had been rushing through it since Dawon carried Tae into headquarters. His mind though? His mind was racing. Inseong had arrived back at headquarters as Chani was suturing Tae’s leg and about to begin the refinement process. He had commended Chani on doing so well while still being just an apprentice and sent the boy to rest. Youngbin hadn’t left Tae’s side for a moment since he arrived. Not even to eat or use the restroom, and it was starting to catch up with him.

He startled when he felt a large hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Inseong frowning at him. Youngbin knew that look and sighed. He knew he was going to be kicked out to go rest. “Youngbin, you’re dead on your feet. Go eat something and get some rest. I’ll be with Tae until Chani wakes up. If something happens, one of us will be here to take care of it. We’ll let you know as soon as he wakes. I can’t afford another patient at this moment,” Inseong said with a gentle smile.

Youngbin stood and said, “Alright, but I want to know right away if anything changes. Not just if he wakes up.”

“Of course,” Inseong said, pushing Youngbin out of the room and closing the door with a quiet snap.

Youngbin sighed and his shoulders slumped as the day’s stress weighed on him. As he walked down the hall, he noticed a light peaking from the bottom of only one of the bedrooms. Yoonie’s. Youngbin could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he contemplated seeking out the younger man’s comfort for the first time. Before he could think too hard about it, his feet were moving towards the younger man’s door, and he was knocking lightly. He heard quiet shuffling and then the door was opening. Yoonie’s hair was still dripping from the shower he must have taken recently, and he was dressed in baggy pants and a long-sleeved V-neck. Youngbin gulped when the younger frowned at him. He startled when Yoonie rubbed his thumb across his cheek, and it wasn’t until that moment that he realized he must still be crying over almost losing Tae. He covered his mouth with one hang as he sucked in a breath. He could feel more tears burning at his eyes and his shoulders started to shudder from holding in his sobs.

“Hey, come here,” Yoonie said, grabbing Youngbin’s hand and pulling him into his room. He closed the door and led Youngbin to the bed and made him sit on the edge. He sat down beside the older man and drew him into a hug. “It’s okay. Tae will be okay.”

Youngbin buried his face in Yoonie’s neck and gripped his shirt. Youngbin couldn’t really make out what Yoonie was muttering to him, but the sound of his voice and the feel of his heartbeat against his hand was enough to soothe him. He pulled back from the younger man and wiped his eyes on the back of his hand. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you sought me out. You shouldn’t be alone after what happened today,” Yoonie said. He reached out and fixed Youngbin’s hair.

“I normally wouldn’t want to burden you,” Youngbin said shyly, blushing slightly.

Yoonie touched his chin and tilted his head so their gazes could meet. “You are never a burden. In fact, I wish you would seek me out more often. I worry about you.”

“Why?” Youngbin said. His eyes widened as he realized what he said without even thinking.

Yoonie smiled and said, “Because I’ve liked you for a long time Bin.  
Youngbin sighed and said, “I’ve liked you too Yoonie I’ve just been too busy to even think about a relationship.”

“How about now,” the younger man asked.

“I’d like to try, if you would,” Youngbin said with a small smile.

Yoonie smiled back, and instead of answering verbally, he kissed Youngbin lightly. That was really all the answer Youngbin needed.

~*~*~*~*~

Hwi sat on the cushions in the common area. He was staring at his hands which were still shaking, and he didn’t seem to notice the water that was still dripping from his hair from his shower. Rowoon frowned at the younger boy and moved closer until their shoulders were touching. “Hey, Tae’s going to be okay,” he whispered.

Hwi bit his lip and looked up at Rowoon with shining eyes. “We almost lost him Rowoon,” he said, voice quivering.

Rowoon gulped and closed his eyes. “I know,” he said softly.

“Rowoon, I can’t lose him,” Hwi whispered, voice cracking brokenly.

“Me either,” Rowoon muttered.

“No, you don’t get it,” Hwi hissed.

“Sure, I do. He’s your brother,” Rowoon said with a frown.

“No. It’s more than that. I’ve never seen Taeyang as my brother,” Hwi whispered.

“What are you talking about Hwi? I’ve seen the way you look at him. You worship the ground he walks on,” Rowoon said with a sad sigh.

“Yeah, but that’s because I love him, but not as a brother,” Hwi said.

“Wait. You…” Rowoon said, looking at Hwi with wide eyes.

“Yeah,” Hwiyoung said. He dropped his head into his hands and sighed.

“Me too,” Rowoon muttered.

“What?” Hwi said, gazing up at Rowoon with wide eyes.

“I feel the same about him. But…also about you,” Rowoon muttered, looking down to avoid meeting Hwi’s eyes.

“Rowoon,” Hwi said so softly Rowoon barely heard him. He grabbed Rowoon’s hand, and the older man looked up at him with a clenched jaw. “I love you too,” Hwi whispered.

Rowoon shakily released the breath he was holding as he saw the sincerity in the younger’s eyes. All this time he had been too afraid to admit his feelings, too afraid of what the boys would say, but Hwi felt the same. Even if Taeyang didn’t return their feelings, they at least had each other.

“When Tae wakes up, we have to tell him. Even if he doesn’t feel the same, we almost lost him and lost our chance to know. There’s a possibility he could feel the same, and we could have never known,” Hwiyoung said determinedly.

“You’re right. We’ll tell him together,” Rowoon said, squeezing the younger’s hand lightly.

~*~*~*~*~

A few days later, as Hwiyoung and Rowoon returned to training after eating lunch, Dawon smiled at them and said, “Inseong said Tae is awake and can have visitors, so I’m cutting training short. Go see him.”

“Thank you!” both boys called as they ran back into the house. They made their way to the infirmary and nodded at each other before entering the room quietly.

“Hey,” Tae said quietly, looking at them with a smile as they entered.

“Hey Tae,” Hwi said with a wobbly smile. Rowoon just smiled at the younger man as he and Hwi moved to sit in the chairs beside the bed.

“Why do you two look so serious? I hope you haven’t been blaming yourselves for this. You can’t control nature,” Tae said with a frown.

“We’re just glad you’re okay,” Rowoon said.

“And we have something important to talk to you about,” Hwi said, looking at his hands where they were fidgeting in his lap.

“Okay?” Tae said, raising a brow in confusion.

“I…we both love you Tae,” Hwi whispered.

“I love you guys too,” Tae said with a concerned frown.

“What Hwi means is, we love you. Not as a friend. Not as a brother. As more than that?” Rowoon said, brow scrunched up as he stared at the wall over Tae’s head.

“Yeah. I knew what you meant. I love you both too,” Tae said earnestly.

Both boys looked at Taeyang with wide eyes. “Really,” they whispered together.

“Yes, really. I have for a while now. I just didn’t know how to tell you,” Tae said, sighing.

“You’re all idiots,” Dawon muttered from the doorway. Their heads all whipped to look at him with wide eyes. “I was just coming to bring Tae lunch,” Dawon said, raising the tray in his hands up for them to see. “Inseong’s orders are law.” He dropped the tray on Tae’s lap, helping the boy sit up before saying, “You were all so obvious with your feelings that I thought you were already together and were just waiting to tell us,” before shaking his head and walking out of the room.

The three boys’ eyes met, and they all started laughing at how blind they had been up until now. If others had been able to see it but they couldn’t? Then they had all been way too oblivious.

~*~*~*~*~


	14. Interlude: Love

Chapter Thirteen

“Hey,” Dawon said, knocking on the door to Inseong’s infirmary/workshop. He smiled as the older man turned from his paperwork and grinned at him. “Got some time?”

“Sure. I just finished with this anyway, so if no one is getting injured any time soon, I’m free,” Inseong said with a teasing quirk of his brow.

“Hey! I don’t get injured that often,” Dawon said with a huff.

“Mhm,” Inseong said noncommittally.

“Anyway. I made you lunch,” Dawon said with a soft smile.

“Ohhhh, really? What’s the occasion?” Inseong said, standing and following Dawon towards the kitchen which was strangely empty considering the time of day.

“Can’t I make my boyfriend lunch without there being a reason or ulterior motive,” Dawon asked with a pout.

“No,” Inseong said simply. He smirked at the younger man and sat in one of the chairs at the large dining table.

“Rude,” Dawon said, huffing as he placed two plates of chicken, rice and steamed vegetables down on the table.

“Oooo, fancy,” Inseong said with wide eyes. It wasn’t often they got chicken. These days it was far easier to get pork, and chicken was a rarity. An expensive rarity. “How much did this cost you?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just enjoy it,” Dawon said, smiling at his boyfriend. He always loved how excited Inseong got about food.

Inseong didn’t have to be told twice, and promptly dug into the meal. He closed his eyes and moaned at the taste of the juicy chicken. It had been months since they had chicken, and Dawon had seasoned it just how Inseong loved it. “This is so good,” Inseong whispered.

“I’m glad you like it,” Dawon said, grinning at the older man’s obvious appreciation.

“Now I really want to know what the occasion is,” Inseong said as he continued enjoying his meal.

Dawon sighed and said, “I wanted to wait until you were done eating, but if you insist.”

Inseong quirked an eyebrow in question at his boyfriend’s dramatics. “Should I be worried,” he asked.

Dawon laughed and said, “Of course not. Just listen closely.”

“Okay,” Inseong said, but it sounded more like a question than a statement. He wasn’t sure what to make of the younger man’s unusual seriousness.

“Inseong, we’ve been dating for forever now, and I think it’s time…that we move into the same room together,” Dawon said with a grin.

“That’s it? We basically live in one room together already,” Inseong said, rolling his eyes at the younger man.

“And also, will you marry me,” Dawon asked in a rush, pushing a small Heartstone case across the table to Inseong.

Inseong’s eyes widened and he looked from Dawon to the case and back again a few times before grabbing it with shaking hands. He opened it and laughed as he saw a band made from the same metal as the Heartstone cases with a heart in the middle made from what looked like the same material as the lenses of his goggles. “Of course I will you idiot,” he whispered as he took the ring out and placed it on his left ring finger.

“Yes!” Dawon said, raising one fist in the air and grinning.

~*~*~*~*~

Youngbin leaned back against Jaeyoon where he sat between the man’s outstretched legs. “Do you think this means he’ll finally ask him?” he said. Dawon had come to them a week ago, begging them to make themselves scarce today so he could have a special moment alone with Inseong. They had of course agreed and made sure to keep the boys distracted with a rare day free from training. They had just finished their picnic and were relaxing as the younger boys played in the lake on Yoonie’s father’s farm.

Jaeyoon hummed as he stroked his fingers through the older man’s hair and said, “I certainly hope so. He made that ring ages ago.”

“True,” Youngbin said, sighing as he closed his eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of Yoonie’s fingers scratching his scalp.

“I know you hate huge gestures and dramatics, so when I ask you to marry me, it will be subtle and beautiful,” Jaeyoon whispered.

“When,” Youngbin asked, gulping in anticipation of the answer.

“When,” Yoonie said in confirmation.

Youngbin sighed and smiled as he leaned back further and kissed Yoonie’s neck. “When,” he whispered, closing his eyes as a warm feeling of contentment enveloped him.

~*~*~*~*~

“I can’t believe he finally asked him,” Rowoon said as he flopped backwards onto Taeyang’s bed. Taeyang and Hwiyoung both walked out of the bathroom at the same time. Hwiyoung sat down at the top of the bed and lifted Rowoon’s head, letting it rest on his lap as he began brushing the tangles out of the older man’s hair with his fingers.

Taeyang stood at the end of the bed brushing his hair and said, “They were practically married already. I don’t know why he was so scared.”

“Weren’t we just as guilty of being scared for apparently no reason,” Hwi asked as he continued finger combing Rowoon’s hair.

“That is true,” Rowoon said, sighing as Hwi’s fingers began massaging his scalp.

“You know, marriage now days is just words, nothing really official. It’s just a way for us to feel more connected to our past. So, we could get married if we wanted,” Hwi said softly.

“We could,” Tae said.

Rowoon sat up with a grin and said, “Yes, we could.”

Hwiyoung started laughing softly as he felt the prick of tears and the other two joined him. Tae moved to sit on the bed next to his two boyfriends and smiled. “We can” he said.

~*~*~*~*~


	15. Tragedy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tragedy strikes the family.

Chapter Fourteen

“What do you mean he could die? He was fine ten minutes ago!”

Taeyang was feeling just as shocked and angry as Chani sounded. He had been talking to Youngbin about how he thought B Squad was ready to have their first mission without Dawon overseeing them, when Youngbin had gone as pale as a ghost and collapsed. He would have hit the ground hard if Taeyang hadn’t been fast enough to catch him. He had yelled for Inseong, and the other man had come sprinting out of his office. He had immediately ordered Taeyang to help him get Youngbin to the infirmary. It had been too easy. Youngbin had always been small, but Taeyang hadn’t realized he weighed so little. Chani had been there working on whatever Inseong was teaching him that day.

“Like I said, he wasn’t fine ten minutes ago. He hasn’t been fine for months. This virus quietly attacks the immune system without showing any symptoms. The only way to catch it before this final stage is the color of the person’s eyes in the presence of a Heartstone. But Youngbin hasn’t been on a mission in months,” Inseong said. He was administering a potion of some sort, and shushing Youngbin as the man groaned. “All I can do, without a raw stone, is make him comfortable.”

“Dawon and Jaeyoon won’t be back until tomorrow. Can he wait until then?” Taeyang said.

Inseong wiped Youngbin’s brow before meeting Taeyang’s eyes and saying, “No.”

Taeyang nodded and said, “Okay. B Squad will get you a stone. I know of one that is close by.”

“What? Tae! You’re not ready!” Chani shouted, grabbing Tae’s sleeve, stopping him from leaving.

“Chani, it’ll be fine,” Taeyang said.

Chani tugged Taeyang into a hug and whispered, “Just be careful.

~*~*~*~*~

“Alright, let’s get this done, and get the stone back to Youngbin,” Hwiyoung said, pulling his hood up as it started to rain. He made sure the other two had their hoods up and were ready to go before running off in the direction of their target. More than just adrenaline was coursing through his veins. He knew fear and stress were also causes for his heart pounding painfully in his chest. This mission had to be successful. They had to save Youngbin. He couldn’t imagine any other outcome.

His head whipped to the left as a tall figure ran past him and into the cave ahead. “Damn it Rowoon!” Hwi sped up to make sure Rowoon didn’t do anything stupid. He slowed down when he entered the cave and saw that Rowoon was just checking the readings in the cave.

Rowoon looked up and smiled at his youngest lover. “Looks like the closest stone is down the tunnel to our left.”

“Alright, just be careful. Don’t do anything stupid. I want all of us and the stone out of here safe,” Hwi said.

Rowoon smirked and took off at a brisk walk. In his haste, Rowoon’s shoulder bumped a column. Hwiyoung’s eyes widened as he saw the ground around the column, and Rowoon, begin to collapse. He heard Taeyang shout their lover’s name as they both took off running in his direction.

The ground beneath the column collapsed, dragging the area around Rowoon with it. Hwi watched as his lover fell and he and Tae lunged towards the edge, grabbing for the older man. Hwi’s head smacked hard against a rock, but he ignored the pain in favor of focusing on the grip he had on Rowoon’s forearm. He looked over to see, blurrily, that Tae had hold of Rowoon’s hand. The two younger men pulled their lover up so he could grip the edge, and they could grab onto his vest to pull him up. Once Rowoon was safe on sturdy land, Hwiyoung gasped for breath. “Idiot,” he muttered as they all stood on shaky legs. Hwi tipped sideways and would have fallen if Rowoon hadn’t caught him.

“Hwi, are you okay?” Rowoon said, pushing Hwi’s hair back behind his ears so he could look into his eyes. Hwi tried to focus on the older man, but his vision was getting fuzzy and tunneling. The last thing he saw, before black completely took his vision, was Tae snapping his fingers in front of his face and his lips moving rapidly like he was shouting something.

~*~*~*~*~

Rowoon cursed as Hwiyoung’s eyes rolled back and he collapsed. He caught the younger man and carried him a little away from the collapsed area, with Tae’s help. He lowered himself and Hwi to the ground and cringed when he saw the large bump on the younger man’s forehead.

“There’s another stone a little further away, down this tunnel to the right,” Tae said, lowering himself to check on Hwi.

“I’ll get it,” Rowoon said. He shifted Hwi so he could stand. Once he was on his feet, he cried out as his knee buckled and pain flared up his whole right leg.

“Shit Rowoon,” Tae said, helping the man to lean against the cave wall.

“Damn, adrenaline must have been really high if I missed that pain while carrying Hwi,” Rowoon gasped.

“You’re not going anywhere alone on that leg. I’ll get the stone,” Tae said.

Rowoon looked to Tae’s vest and noticed the cracked timer was completely dark. “Are you crazy? Your timer isn’t even working. You’re not going,” he said.

“Rowoon, it’s either I go or Youngbin dies. You’ll never make it there and put the stone away in time on that leg,” Taeyang said, adjusting his vest and coat and making sure he was ready to run as fast as he could.

“Just, come back to us safely. Okay?” Rowoon said, pulling the younger man into a kiss. He stroked Tae’s cheek as he pulled back, resting his forehead against the younger man’s for a few moments. He pulled back and said, “Run fast.”

Taeyang nodded and took off towards the coveted Heartstone. Rowoon groaned as he slid down the wall. He looked at his own wrist and set the manual timer. He watched as the numbers counted down way too quickly for his own liking. He smacked his head against the cave wall lightly, kicking himself for being too eager and getting them into this situation. He looked back to his wrist to see that Tae only had a few minutes left of safe exposure time to the stone. As the numbers continued counting down, Rowoon got tenser and tenser, fearing for his younger lover. The timer started blinking as the numbers dropped critically low. He felt a rumble beneath him, and his eyes widened. No. Their luck couldn’t be that bad. They couldn’t also get caught in a cave-in. Rowoon scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could, gritting his teeth and starting to limp towards the tunnel Tae had run into. The rumbling beneath his feet was getting stronger, and he could hear rocks shifting in other parts of the cave system.

“Rowoon!”

Rowoon’s head jerked up, hoping to see Taeyang running towards him, but he must still be around a bend further down, because Tae was nowhere in sight. Rowoon continued limping further into the tunnel, hoping to run into Tae. He was using the cave wall for support, and he could feel the rumbling even better under his hand.

“Rowoon!”

He looked up again and his heart leapt at seeing Taeyang running towards him. He started limping faster, but his eyes widened in horror as a large rock fell, hitting Tae and trapping the younger man’s leg. Rowoon gritted his teeth and limped faster in his lover’s direction. He watched as Tae tried to dislodge the rock from his ankle, and then as the younger man looked up and met his eyes. Tae looked down at the Heartstone, and back up at Rowoon, and Rowoon could see the decision in his eyes. The rumbling was increasing, and rocks were falling all around Tae. “No,” Rowoon said, shaking his head as he continued to limp forward. Tae grimaced before throwing the stone as hard as he could in Rowoon’s direction. The stone hit the ground and bounced a few times before resting a few feet in front of Rowoon.

“I love you. Tell Hwi I love him too,” Taeyang said.

Rowoon shook his head and kept limping in his direction but fell to his knees with a cry when the ground shook beneath him. He looked up to see Taeyang crying before the tunnel collapsed between them. “NO!” Rowoon sobbed. He would have clawed his way through the rubble to his lover if the ground hadn’t continued to rumble and he hadn’t caught sight of the stone his lover had sacrificed himself to get for his brother. He grabbed the stone and dragged himself to his feet, using the cave wall as support.

He limped back out of the tunnel, tears falling down his dirty cheeks. When he reached Hwi, he took the still unconscious boy’s stone case out of his vest, securing the stone. He shoved the case into his own vest before wrapping his arms around his lover’s chest and dragging him out of the cave. Rocks were still falling all around them, but he gritted his teeth and picked up his pace. He was determined to get them out of this cave alive. When he finally exited the cave, he collapsed with Hwi in his arms. He let himself cry over losing Tae for just a few moments, before checking on Hwi. The younger man was still breathing, and Rowoon choked down a sob of relief.

He struggled to his feet and began dragging Hwi in the direction of headquarters.

~*~*~*~*~

Inseong looked up as he heard the entrance door bang against the wall. He lay the wet rag on Youngbin’s head and went to see if it was the boys returning with the stone. He rushed forward when he saw Rowoon sprawled on the ground with Hwi on top of him. He looked around, but Taeyang was nowhere in sight. He crouched down and checked Hwi first, and when he felt a pulse he sighed in relief and shifted the boy off Rowoon. Rowoon groaned and Inseong saw that his pants were torn, and his leg was twisted quite nastily.

“Hey Rowoon, it’s okay. You made it to headquarters. Did you get the stone?” Inseong said. Rowoon’s hand raised to his vest, but his fingers struggled with the straps, so Inseong grabbed his hands and opened the straps himself. He pulled out the stone case and sighed in relief. “Rowoon, where’s Tae?”

Rowoon sobbed and his arm came up to cover his eyes. Inseong sucked in a breath and felt his eyes burn. “I’m going to get potions for you and Hwi, and I want you to take yours and help Hwi with his. Then, I want you to watch over Hwiyoung until he wakes. Can you do that?” Inseong said. When Rowoon nodded, Inseong took off to the infirmary, passing the stone to Chani and not answering any of his questions. He grabbed the potions the boys would need and ran back to Rowoon. He placed the potions in the younger man’s hand and ran back to the infirmary. As much as his heart was breaking for the younger man, and as much as he wanted to cry over Tae’s loss, he had a patient he could save right in front of him.

~*~*~*~*~

It took two weeks for Youngbin to recover, and in that time Jaeyoon and Dawon had gone back to the cave and confirmed what Rowoon already knew. Taeyang was gone, and it was all his fault. He had made a full report to Dawon when he arrived the day after the accident, and then he had solemnly given a full report to a still sickly looking Youngbin when he was coherent enough to know what was going on. Youngbin had looked grim but had grabbed Rowoon’s hand and pulled him down into a tight hug.

He had left Youngbin in his grief and fled the infirmary. The hug had made his skin crawl. How could Youngbin offer him comfort when it was his fault his baby brother was dead? Rowoon slipped into his room and locked the door. He looked around at the room he hadn’t seen a lot of since he and Hwi had started spending most of their time in Tae’s room.

Hwiyoung? He had been avoiding the younger man since he woke. He couldn’t face him when he was the reason they lost their lover. Rowoon knew what he needed to do. He couldn’t face anyone. They were all a family, and Taeyang was their sunshine. He was always there for everyone, and now that light was gone.

Rowoon grabbed a duffel and began stuffing it with clothes and extra supplies. He put his squad vest on, and then his coat. He sat on the end of his bed and waited. He waited until the activity in headquarters quieted. Then, he waited a little more, making sure everyone was asleep. Then, he picked up his duffel and snuck out. He didn’t leave a note, and he didn’t look back. He knew if he did either he would lose his conviction and stay, or someone would try to stop him from leaving.

~*~*~*~*~


	16. Aftermath/Picking up the Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Taeyang's death (and Rowoon leaving).

Chapter Fifteen

The past few months since Tae’s death had been dark ones for the family. Not only had they lost Taeyang, their sunshine, but they had also lost Rowoon. The tall man had always been playful and caring and had brought his own light to their little family. But his grief had been so great that he had snuck out in the middle of the night without a word to anyone. Since then, they hadn’t seen the man, but he had left them information on cave systems that were safe and had an abundance of stones and had also warned them of raiders in the area.

Everyone took the loss of these two members of their family quite hard. Although Inseong and Jaeyoon hadn't been as close to Taeyang, they still considered him family and mourned his loss. Chani had locked himself away in his room for weeks after Tae’s death, only leaving to eat and use the restroom. Inseong had tried frequently to comfort his apprentice, but nothing he did or said seemed to help the boy. Youngbin had become quiet and distant, even from Yoonie. Yoonie tried to comfort his boyfriend, but the man would just wave him off and say he was busy with paperwork.

Hwiyoung had taken everything the hardest. Not only had he lost one lover, but the other had voluntarily left him to deal with the grief of that loss alone. Hwiyoung pushed himself to be in the field more often, and with Youngbin retreating, Dawon couldn’t say no to him. So, Hwi pushed himself, and used more and more missions to mask the pain and loneliness he was feeling.

Inseong was most concerned about Dawon. The man hadn’t taken one moment to mourn their loss himself. Instead, he had thrown himself into Taeyang’s role as the sunshine/mood maker of their family. What little time he had to himself when he wasn’t on missions or training, he dedicated to trying to brighten everyone else’s moods.

Dawon was there for everyone. He barged into Chani’s room, after a month of the boy shutting himself away, and demanded the boy leave his room. He even demanded the boy start training with him now, just so he could distract Chani from his grief. For Hwiyoung, Dawon was the only person he would talk to about his grief, and the only shoulder he would cry on. But, for Youngbin, Dawon had come up with an even wilder scheme.

~*~*~*~*~

“You want us to leave our home, and go live in an abandoned building from before the plague?” Youngbin said with a brow raised in blatant disbelief.

“I want us to be safe. Everyone in the village knows where we live now. What if raiders attack the village, and they give that information away,” Dawon said.

“Rowoon’s last report did say that raider activity was getting closer to our area,” Jaeyoon said. All six members were sitting around the large dining table, listening to Dawon’s proposal, and Yoonie rested his hand on Youngbin’s thigh to keep him calm.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Hwiyoung said softly.

“Me too. There is more room and it’s safer,” Chani said. He also believed it could be a fresh start somewhere where memories of Taeyang wouldn’t haunt all of them every day.

Youngbin sighed and looked at Inseong. “And you? What do you think about this idea?” he said.

“I think it would be a good idea as well. If raider activity is increasing, we would do well to stay ahead of it. Besides, this building sounds big, meaning I could have a larger infirmary and workshop,” Inseong said.

“Since you all are in agreement, then we will fix up this building and move in there as soon as possible,” Youngbin said. He waved them all off, and they left to go to their own rooms for the night.

“It is a good idea Bin,” Yoonie said.

“I know. It just feels like a betrayal to Tae’s memory,” Youngbin whispered.

Jaeyoon grabbed Youngbin’s hand and kissed the back of it. “Memories are in your head and in your heart, not in buildings and objects. Tae will always be with us Bin. No matter where we go,” he said.

“Thank you, Yoon. You always know how to make me feel better,” Youngbin said, smiling softly at the younger man.

Jaeyoon just smiled, standing and dragging Youngbin up out of his chair. “We should get some sleep. Gotta start working on our new headquarters tomorrow,” he said with a grin.

~*~*~*~*~

“Wow! This place is huge!” Chani said, gaping at the building Dawon had brought them to.

“I did say it was big,” Dawon said, grinning.

“Yeah big, but not huge,” Chani said.

“Look at that fence,” Hwiyoung whispered, gaping in wonder at the huge fence.

“That’s why I said it would be a safer place from raiders.” Dawon said, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting.

“No one doubted you,” Inseong said, placing a comforting hand on Dawon’s shoulder. “We just weren’t expecting this,”

“Well, I’m glad you are all in awe of this place, but we have a lot of work to do to clear this place out and make it a home,” Dawon said.

“Right,” Youngbin said, shaking himself out of his own shocked state. He was also in awe of the place, but Dawon was right, there was so much work to be done. “Let’s get to work everyone.”

Jaeyoon met Dawon’s eye over Youngbin’s shoulder and mouthed ‘thank you’. The younger man just smiled and nodded at him in silent acknowledgement.

~*~*~*~*~


	17. Raid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A raid on the village, and a mysterious new character is revealed. Who could he be?

Chapter Sixteen

Youngbin jumped as the door to his office was slammed open. He frowned at the line he had drawn across the front of Dawon’s latest report. He looked up to see a red-faced, panting Chani leaning against the door frame. “Chani? What’s going on? You’re not due back until tomorrow. Where are Yoonie and Hwi?” Youngbin said, standing and rushing over to the younger man.

“Raiders attacking the village…Yoonie sent me back for help,” Chani said between pants for breath.

“Shit!” Youngbin said as he rushed out of his office to find Dawon. He first looked in their infirmary, but neither Inseong nor Dawon were in there. He then checked the kitchen and found Inseong eating a snack as he read through a stack of reports. “Inseong! Gear up and be ready to leave when Dawon and I come back,” Youngbin said. He only waited long enough to make sure that Inseong had heard him, before he was running off again to find Dawon.

Youngbin figured if the younger man wasn’t with Inseong, then he must be training. So, he made his way towards Dawon’s training area. He slammed the door open to the large training hall and sighed when he saw Dawon pausing his training to stare at him.

“Bin? What’s wrong?” he said with a frown.

“We need to gear up and get to the village,” Youngbin said.

“Raiders?” Dawon hissed.

“Yes,” Youngbin said simply, before heading back towards the common area. He heard Dawon’s rapid footsteps behind him, so he wasn’t surprised when the younger man ran past him. They both stopped in their own rooms to grab their vests and jackets before heading out to the common area where Inseong and Chani were waiting for them. “Chani, you’re not going with us,” Youngbin said, frowning at the boy.

“Yes I am. Hwi’s out there with Jaeyoon. I won’t lose another brother while sitting at home doing nothing but waiting,” Chani said with a slight growl.

“Binnie, we don’t have time to argue. He will just follow us anyway, so there is no point telling him not to come. The two of us did raise him,” Dawon said.

Youngbin sighed and said, “Fine.”

~*~*~*~*~

As they approached the village, the four of them realized how eerily quiet it was. If there was a raider attack, it would be loud. There would be screaming, and the sounds of fighting. Now, there wasn’t even the usual sounds of their bustling village. Youngbin gave the others a look, hoping they understood to be cautious. When the others nodded, he led them into the village. There were no people in the streets as they walked towards the market, and there was smoke rising from many burnt-out houses.

When they got closer to the market, they heard a few quiet voices muttering. “Old man!” Youngbin said when he saw the merchant, who he usually traded the stones and potions to, talking to a few scared villagers. He looked up when he heard Youngbin’s voice and excused himself from the villagers before making his way over to Youngbin.

“Youngbin, you made it,” the old man said with a small smile.

“Too late it seems,” Youngbin said, taking in the destroyed marketplace.

The old man sighed and said, “It happened so quickly, but it wasn’t a normal raid.”

“What do you mean,” Dawon asked, frowning as he looked around the slowly growing crowd of villagers.

“They didn’t take anything. Their leader wanted information, and they started destroying properties when we couldn’t give them the information he wanted,” the old man said.

“What did he want to know?” Inseong said.

“He wanted to know about your family, and where you live,” the merchant said.

“What?! Where are Yoonie and Hwi?” Youngbin demanded.

“Here Bin,” Yoonie said as he and Hwi pushed their way through the crowd.

“When they started asking questions, the old man hid us in his cellar,” Hwi said.

“Thank you,” Dawon said to the merchant as he dragged Hwi into a tight hug.

“Of course, but listen. This guy, he seemed way too interested in your family. More than just because you collect the Heartstones,” the old man said.

“What did he look like?” Inseong said.

“He had a black coat for the rains like you all do. He had his hood up the whole time, so I didn’t get a good look at him,” the old man said.

“Thank you for everything old man. We’ll be cautious from now on. We’ll also stay to help out for a few days,” Youngbin said. He nodded towards the others who split off to do what they could to help with clean up. He knew Dawon and Inseong would also want to find their parents and make sure they were okay. Youngbin would have to discuss this black-coated man with the others later, but right now they had a village to help.

~*~*~*~*~


	18. The Invisible Man and the Shadow

Chapter Seventeen

“Youngbin, I have something you’ll want to see,” Dawon said from the doorway of the older man’s office.

Youngbin raised an eyebrow and frowned, pushing aside his paperwork before saying, “What is it?”

Dawon walked forward and drew some papers from his vest, which he hadn’t yet removed after his latest mission, placing them on Bin’s desk. “We found this at the site for today’s mission. Read it,” he said, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of Youngbin’s desk.

Youngbin picked up the papers and frowned as he read them. “Who wrote this,” he asked as he continued reading.

“Who do you think?” Dawon said.

“Rowoon,” Youngbin said with a sigh, dropping the papers onto his desk and rubbing his temples.

“It’s not the first time either,” Dawon said.

“What? He just happens to know where you’ll be, and leaves you intelligence on new caves?” Youngbin grumbled.

“Not just information on new caves,” the younger man said.

“What else has he told you,” Youngbin asked, sighing as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Dawon sighed as well and said, “He found out what the man in black is doing.”

Youngbin narrowed his eyes and leaned forward saying, “And what is that?”

“He’s collecting stones on a massive scale, but not trading them or any potions. At least from what Rowoon has been able to find out,” Dawon said.

“Are you saying Rowoon is suggesting this man is hoarding Heartstones?” Youngbin hissed.

“Yes,” Dawon said simply.

“Shit!” Youngbin muttered, sitting back with a frown. “This could be dangerous.”

“I know. I’ve already told the squad to be cautious while we’re out on missions. If this man is mad enough to hoard the stones and attack the village to find us because we also collect the stones, he’s mad enough to continue coming after us. And I don’t want to find out what he’ll do to us if he does,” Dawon said.

“Good. I want all of you to be cautious, and if Rowoon leaves you any more info, I want it right away,” Youngbin said.

Dawon stood and nodded, saying, “You got it boss.” He smirked at the older man before turning and leaving his office, heading to his own room to change out of his vest and shower.

Youngbin sighed as his door clicked shut. A man who hoarded Heartstones? What could be the purpose for that? The only thing Youngbin knew for sure right now, was that he didn’t want to find out this man’s goals.

~*~*~*~*~

“Dawon, there’s another note from the Invisible Man,” Jaeyoon said, handing over the paperwork to their squad leader.

“I hate that name,” Hwiyoung muttered with a grimace.

“Sorry Hwi,” Jaeyoon said, frowning apologetically.

The younger man shook his head and turned away from them as Dawon began to read the information Rowoon had left for them. Dawon sucked in a breath and said, “We’re aborting the mission.”

“What!” Hwi and Jaeyoon asked at the same time. Hwi turned back to look at his father figure and shuttered when he saw the dark look on his face.

“We need to get this info to Youngbin as soon as possible,” Dawon said with a frown.

“What does it say?” Hwi whispered.

“I’ll tell you once Youngbin has read it,” Dawon said, face stony.

Hwi gulped and nodded, following Dawon as he began running back towards Headquarters. He wasn’t sure he really wanted to know what information could cause Dawon to look so serious.

~*~*~*~*~

Youngbin lowered the papers back to his desk and met Dawon’s gaze with wide eyes.

“What’s going on?” Hwi said, frowning as he looked between the two older men.

“Hwi. Yoonie. Sit down, please,” Youngbin said softly.

Hwi and Yoonie sat in the two chairs across from Youngbin’s desk, and Dawon leaned against the side of Hwi’s in silent comfort. Hwi gulped and met Youngbin’s gaze, wondering what could be so serious.

“Rowoon has discovered that the man in black, who he has begun calling the Shadow, has been hunting our people. Specifically, he is looking for Rowoon, Hwi and Dawon, but he mostly wants Rowoon and Hwi,” Youngbin said.

Hwi’s mouth opened to ask why, but he couldn’t muster any words. His brain was trying to grapple with an explanation for this unknown man wanting to find him and his family. What did he want with them once he did? He didn’t like the scenarios his mind was conjuring up.

“Has Rowoon discovered any reasons why the…Shadow…wants them?” Yoonie said, laying a hand on Hwi’s arm.

Hwi smiled at the other man, thankful for the small gesture of comfort.

“Not yet, no. But, until we know, I don’t want Hwi in the field,” Youngbin said.

“What?” Hwi shouted as he stood from his chair. “I don’t care if the man was threatening to kill me. This is my job, and I love it. I’m not staying home, idle, because you’re worried,” Hwi hissed.

Before Youngbin could protest, Dawon said, “I agree with Hwi.”

“Excuse me,” Youngbin said with a clenched jaw.

Dawon raised a brow at him and said, “Hwi is an adult Youngbin. You can’t just lock him in the house and expect him to obey if the Shadow wants him, he’ll have to go through me first.”

“But he wants you too,” Youngbin growled.

“I know you are worried Bin. You don’t want to lose anyone else after Taeyang, but we can take care of ourselves,” Dawon said.

Youngbin sighed and scrubbed his face with his hand. “If either of you gets hurt because of this, I’ll kick both your asses,” Youngbin muttered.

“Love you too, Bin,” Dawon said with a small smile. He grabbed Hwi by the arm and gently dragged the boy from the office.

Youngbin sighed again and leaned forward to rest his forehead on his desk. He jumped slightly when he felt warm hands settle on his shoulders. He groaned when the hands began to massage out the tension that had settled there. “Was I being unreasonable,” he asked.

“A little, but with good intentions. It just shows how much you love them,” Yoonie said, bending to kiss the older man’s head.

“I love you too Yoon. I don’t know what I’d do if any of you were hurt or…or worse,” Youngbin muttered.

Yoonie turned the other man to face him and said, “You have to trust us to take care of each other.”  
Youngbin groaned and rested his forehead against Yoonie’s stomach. “I do,” he whispered.

~*~*~*~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay. I live in South Korea so mostly it was due to the Corona Virus, but also some personal reasons. Thank you to those who commented and have stuck with me. Hope you like the new chapter, and I will try to update again soon despite the virus ruining everything haha.


	19. Shadow Encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter, and I am already starting to write the next one. I hope everyone is keeping safe during these crazy times. xoxo

Chapter Eighteen

“Hwi!” Dawon shouted as he watched the younger man be tackled by a man dressed all in black. Dawon growled and grabbed the man off Hwi and pushed him into the hard wall of the cave. “What do you want from us?” he hissed.

The man’s hood fell back to reveal white-blonde hair, a long yet thin, and hooked nose, and a smirk. The man laughed then cocked back his head before ramming it forward into Dawon’s. Dawon stumbled back, cupping his nose as he felt warmth dripping from his nose down his chin. Dawon’s eyes widened as the other man’s hand wrapped around his throat. He sputtered as he grabbed the man’s wrist and tried to pry his hand off.

“Hey! Leave him alone,” Hwi said, groaning as he struggled to stand up.

Dawon fell to his knees gasping as he grasped his neck and watched as the blonde man turned towards Hwiyoung. Dawon could blurrily make out Jaeyoon standing in front of Hwiyoung.

“I’ll give you one chance to get out of the way, or I’ll kill you too,” the blonde said softly as he stalked towards Jaeyoon and Hwi.

“Then you’ll have to kill me,” Jaeyoon said. The man flexed his hands and fingers as he continued moving forward. Dawon looked around himself. He stood shakily and grabbed a large rock on the cavern floor to his right. He stumbled forward until he was close enough to the blonde, and then he brought his arms back and slammed it against the back of the other man’s head. The blonde dropped to the ground and Hwi rushed to Dawon, grabbing the older man in a tight hug. Dawon wrapped his arms around the younger man and said, “Let’s get out of here.”

~*~*~*~*~

“That bruise is insane Dawon. Let me give you something for it,” Inseong said.

“I’m fine Inseong,” Dawon said, grabbing Inseong’s hand before it could grab for a potion.

“You could have died,” Inseong whispered.

“I know, but I didn’t. For some reason this man was more interested in Hwi. He even gave Jaeyoon options,” Dawon said.

“Why is he so interested in Hwi and Rowoon,” Inseong asked.

“I have no idea, but I intend to find out,” Dawon said with a frown.

“As long as you don’t get yourself killed trying to figure it out,” Inseong said, glaring at the younger man.

“I promise,” Dawon said.

~*~*~*~*~

“Hwi, you’re the collector on this mission,” Dawon said.

“Right,” Hwi said with a nod.

“Remember, only two or three stones, and be careful,” Dawon warned.

“I’m always careful,” Hwi said, checking his timer and the stone cases were secure and ready for the mission.

“I just w-“ Dawon began.

“Dawon!” Jaeyoon shouted from the cave entrance where he was keeping watch.

“What is it?” Dawon said as he jogged back to the entrance. He could hear Hwi running behind him.

“Rowoon,” Jaeyoon said, crouching down to check the pulse of the figure that was sprawled on the ground before him.

“What happened!” Hwi asked as he fell to his knees beside the battered man.

“I’m not sure. He just staggered here and collapsed,” Jaeyoon said.

“Doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we get him back to Inseong as soon as possible,” Dawon said. “Help me with him,” he asked Jaeyoon.

“Of course,” Jaeyoon said. He moved to support under Rowoon’s arms, and Dawon moved to carry the taller man’s legs.

“Hwi, you run ahead and tell Inseong and Chani to be ready, okay?” Dawon said.

“Okay,” Hwi muttered, before he took off running in the direction of Headquarters.

“Let’s hope, for Hwi’s sake, that Rowoon survives this,” Dawon muttered as he and Jaeyoon began their careful journey back to Headquarters.

~*~*~*~*~

Inseong sighed as he left the infirmary and closed the door behind him. He turned around and ran right into Hwiyoung. He wasn’t really surprised. The young man had been waiting for news since the others had returned with Rowoon.

“How is he?” Hwi said, biting his bottom lip and wringing his hands.

“He’s doing well Hwi. He’s resting now, but we were able to get him stable enough to administer the potions needed to begin his healing process,” Inseong said, smiling and resting a hand on the younger man’s shoulder.

Hwi sighed, shoulders dropping in relief. “Can I sit with him?” he said.

“As much as I’d prefer for you to get some rest, I know you won’t be able to sleep. You might as well spend your time awake, with him,” Inseong said, moving out of the way of the door, and making his way towards his shared room with Dawon.

~*~*~*~*~

Hwi wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting at Rowoon’s bedside. All he knew was that the man had changed so much. In his sleep, the man’s face still held a frown, and his tall frame was much skinnier than it had been before Taeyang died. He sighed as he took one of the man’s large hands in his own.

“Hwi?”

Hwi’s head shot up when he heard the hoarse voice. He hadn’t heard the man’s voice in years, and it caused a pain in his chest. “Hey,” Hwi said.

Rowoon frowned as he looked around the room. “How did I get here,” he asked.

“You collapsed in front of the cave we were in and we brought you to Inseong. What happened to you?” Hwi said.

Rowoon groaned as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. “The Shadow,” he said simply.

“He did this to you? Why does he want us Rowoon? It doesn’t make sense,” Hwi muttered.

“I wish I knew,” Rowoon said, sighing.

“Why’d you do it?” Hwi whispered.

“What?” Rowoon said, frowning.

Rowoon looked up from where he was playing with a loose thread in the blanket covering Rowoon’s legs, and said, “Why did you leave me when Tae died? When I needed you most,” Hwi asked.

“Hwi,” Rowoon whispered.

“Don’t sugarcoat it Rowoon! Tell me the truth,” Hwi said, voice wavering as he fought back frustrated tears.

“I couldn’t stand to see your face every day,” Rowoon muttered.

“Because I remind you of Tae,” Hwi said, closing his eyes to hide his pain.

“Because you remind me of how I failed you both that day. It’s my fault he’s dead Hwi,” Rowoon whispered.

“It’s not,” Hwi whispered, looking at the older man with wide eyes.

“It is! And I’ll never forgive myself,” Rowoon said, laying back down and turning to stare at the wall. “Now please, leave me alone.”

Hwi stared at the older man’s back, a back he knew so well, and couldn’t understand how the other man could blame himself for what happened to their lover. Hwi sighed and stood. “I still love you Rowoon,” he said, before leaving the room.

~*~*~*~*~


	20. The Shadow's Lair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think~^^

Chapter Nineteen

“I can’t believe he left again,” Inseong muttered as he took a sip of his coffee.

“Shhh, Hwiyoung could hear you. He has already been pushing himself too hard since Rowoon left. I don’t need him hearing everyone talking behind his back and him trying to get himself killed on the next mission,” Dawon said, rubbing his temples and sighing.

“Hey,” Inseong said, grabbing Dawon’s hand in both of his. “I’m sorry, okay? Hwi’s going to be okay. It got better last time, it will again now.”

There was a knock at the door frame to the dining room, and Dawon and Inseong looked up to see Jaeyoon leaning against it. “Hey, we got new information from the Invisible Man,” Jaeyoon said.

Dawon sighed and stood, Inseong following his lead. The three men made their way to Youngbin’s office together. The door was already open, so they all went tin and sat around the older man’s desk. “So,” Dawon muttered.

Youngbin sighed and sat back. “Yeah,” Youngbin said.

“So, what does the info tell us,” Inseong said, trying to break the awkwardness of the situation. This was the first piece of information they had received since Rowoon left after being cleared by Inseong, so things were still tense.

“Well,” Youngbin said, grabbing the papers that Rowoon had left for them. “He’s found the Shadow’s lair.”

“What!” Dawon asked, jumping up from his chair. Inseong grabbed Dawon’s arm and pulled him back down onto his seat. Dawon sighed and said, “Are we going to do something?”

“We have to at least check it out. See what he’s really got going on so we can try to understand why he’s after Rowoon and Hwiyoung,” Jaeyoon said.

“I agree,” Dawon said before Youngbin could respond.

Youngbin sighed and said, “If we do this, we do it right. Just Dawon, Jaeyoon and I will go, and we’re just scouting.”

“Agreed,” Dawon said, and Yoonie just nodded his agreement.

~*~*~*~*~

“Remember, we are just scouting the place out, not taking anything. Yet. I want to know how true the rumors are. How many stones does the Shadow actually possess? Maybe find a motive for him going after Rowoon and Hwiyoung” Youngbin said.

“You got it boss,” Dawon said with a smirk.

Youngbin sighed and said, “Alright, let’s go.” The other two men nodded, and they took off quietly towards the cave entrance Rowoon had informed them of. They snuck through the cavern and Youngbin checked his stone tracker to make sure they were headed in the right direction. “Damn. If this is correct, he’s collected far more than we feared,” Youngbin said.

“Then maybe we should think about taking a few stones tonight,” Dawon said.

“No, not tonight. We’ll scope it out and make sure we know what we’re getting ourselves into,” Youngbin replied, leading them down a passage to their left. Youngbin heard the beeps as all three of their timers started counting down, and knew they were close.

“Looks like they’re right around the next corner,” Yoonie said. He gasped as they turned the corner into a chamber filled with stones in glass cases lining each wall.

“Damn! Who is this psycho? The stones aren’t even in protective cases,” Dawon said. The younger man had moved closer to one of the cases and was reaching out his hand like he was going to take a stone.

“Dawon,” Youngbin warned.

“You’re no fun Binnie,” Dawon said, pouting as he lowered his hand.

“This isn’t a joke Dawon,” Yoonie hissed, smacking the other man on the back of the head.

“Ow! Damn! I know, okay?” Dawon rubbed the back of his head, frowning as he looked around the room. “I count about fifty to a case, and there are at least ten cases in this room alone. There were other readings further into the compound. Who knows how many more stones this nut has.”

“Nut? How insulting Dawon.”

All three whipped around to look towards the source of a voice they hadn’t heard in years.

“Taeyang?” Dawon whispered.

Youngbin’s heart was hammering painfully against his ribs and there was a loud rushing in his ears. He blinked rapidly, trying to make sure what he was seeing was not a trick. His little brother, who they had thought was dead all this time, was standing in front of them with a smirk. There was a dark glint in the younger man’s eye, and he was holding a staff with a Heartstone resting on top.

“Tae?” Youngbin choked out, stepping towards his brother. He shook off the hand Yoonie placed on his shoulder to try to stop his advance forward. Taeyang looked towards him and Youngbin watched as the dark glint in his eye was replaced by wide, shocked eyes.

Tae jerked back and said, “Impossible! You died!”

“Tae, I’m right here. Look at me. Throw that stone away and come back with us. Inseong can help you,” Youngbin said, taking a few more steps toward Tae as he spoke, reaching his hand towards the brother he had raised after their parents abandoned them.

“Help me? I don’t need help.” Tae tapped his ear and hissed, “Zuho, there are intruders. Kill them!” Then, he sneered at all of them before fleeing the room.

Lights began flashing in the room and a siren blared. “Damnit! Come on! We have to get out of here!” Dawon grabbed Youngbin’s arm and dragged him back through the cavern.

“Shit!” Dawon looked back to see what had caused Yoonie to curse and saw a black figure was quite close on their tail. Dawon looked forward and picked up his pace, continuing to drag Youngbin along behind him. Dawon pushed Youngbin ahead of him and said, “Go! I’ll distract him.”

“What? No! Are you crazy? He’s almost killed Hwi and Rowoon. He could kill you too,” Yoonie hissed before he sucked in a calming breath. His heart was pounding like crazy from the shock of seeing Tae alive. He could only imagine how his lover was feeling after finding out his baby brother was still alive.

“He’ll have to catch me first,” Dawon said.

Yoonie nodded. He knew Dawon was their fastest runner, and if anyone could outrun the Shadow, it was him. Yoonie grabbed Youngbin’s arm and pulled him into a run. He worried about the man since he hadn’t said a word since they began their retreat. He also worried about how Hwiyoung would react to this. He had just gotten to a good place after Tae’s ‘death’ and Rowoon abandoning him. The poor kid had lost both of his lovers in less than a month and gone to a dark place that only Dawon had been able to drag him out of. In fact, Dawon had been the only thing that had kept their group from collapsing. He had been everyone’s support through their grief over Tae’s ‘death’ and Rowoon leaving, so he better get back to them safely.

Yoonie sighed as they finally arrived at headquarters. He came to a stop at the entrance and turned Youngbin towards him. He cupped his lover’s cheek and said, “Hey, you have to get it together before we go in there and see Hwi and Chani.”

Youngbin gulped and leaned his cheek into Yoonie’s comforting hand. “Okay,” he whispered. He gripped Yoonie’s hand as they entered the compound. 

Inseong met them in the common area and frowned, asking, “Where’s Dawon?”

“It’s a long story, and I don’t want to tell it more than once. Can you get Chani and Hwi?” Yoonie said, collapsing onto one of the cushions that littered the floor. Youngbin sat beside him and leaned into his side, seeking whatever comfort he could get. Yoonie wrapped his arm around Youngbin’s shoulders as Inseong left to go get the youngest members of their group. His head jerked up towards the entrance as the door slammed open against the wall. Dawon stumbled into headquarters panting and clutching his left arm which was dripping blood. Yoonie jumped to his feet and rushed to Dawon’s side, helping him over to sit on a cushion of his own.

“Damnit! What happened?” Inseong growled as he and the two youngest entered the common area and caught sight of Dawon’s injury. He motioned for Chani to go get the first aid kit from the infirmary before rushing to Dawon’s side.

“I’m fine,” Dawon muttered, gritting his teeth as Inseong pushed his torn sleeve out of the way and started poking the wound.

“Well you won’t need many stitches, if that’s what you’re considering to be fine now,” Inseong said. His brow was furrowed as he snatched the kit from Chani and started searching for what he would need.

“I thought this was just a scouting mission,” Hwi said as he and Chani sat between Dawon and Yoonie.

“It was, but it didn’t go how we expected,” Yoonie said.

“Did you finally figure out what the Shadow wants?” Chani said.

“Not exactly. We learned that the Shadow actually answers to someone else,” Yoonie said. He was trying to be as subtle as possible because he couldn’t think of the best way to break the news to the boys.

“Who?” Chani said.

“Your brother,” Youngbin said. His voice was quiet but clear as he spoke, and a hush fell over the room with his words.

“Tae’s dead Papa,” Chani whispered, chancing a quick glance to check Hwi’s reaction. The boy’s face had gone pale, and Chani rested a hand on top of the older boy’s. Hwiyoung gave him a small tight smile in thanks.

“Apparently not,” Dawon said before hissing out a breath as Inseong poured the disinfectant over his wound. Dawon cursed and said, “Can we do this laying down before I pass out?” 

“Tch, fine my ass,” Inseong said as he gently helped the younger man lay down.

Dawon groaned but still placed his hand on Hwiyoung’s knee. Hwi laced his fingers with Dawon’s and gripped his hand tightly.

“If Tae is alive, why wouldn’t he come back to us?” Chani said. 

“The stones have corrupted him,” Yoonie said.

Inseong’s head jerked up at that. “How often is he in their presence unprotected,” he asked. Dawon whined as Inseong gripped his arm too tightly, and Inseong turned his attention back to his injured lover, shushing him quietly.

“I believe constantly. He has a staff with one on top of it, and I could tell by the look in his eyes that the stones have completely taken him,” Youngbin said. He was still leaning into Yoonie’s side, and his younger lover was whispering reassurances in his ear. Yoonie’s support was the only thing keeping him sane at the moment if he were being honest.

“There’s still hope,” Inseong said as he gave Dawon a pain potion.

“What?” Youngbin sat up straight and gripped Yoonie’s hand in a white-knuckled grip.

“The withdrawal process will be rough and could just as easily kill him as help him, but there is a chance.” Inseong tied off the last stitch on Dawon’s arm and bent over to kiss the man lightly on the forehead.

“Then we have to get him back at all cost,” Youngbin said. 

“We will,” Dawon said as Inseong helped him sit back up. “We won’t rest until we get him back Bin, I promise.”

~*~*~*~*~


	21. Trial Run

Chapter Twenty

Dawon sighed as he left Youngbin’s office and made his way towards his and Inseong’s room. Youngbin, Jaeyoon and he had been in Youngbin’s office all day, pouring over the blueprints of Taeyang’s hideout which Rowoon had left for them a few days ago. Dawon entered their room, closing the door softly behind him. He smiled when he saw Inseong sitting up in bed reading by lamplight.

“Hey,” Dawon said softly as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“Hey, you okay,” Inseong asked, putting his book aside and patting his lap.

“Bin’s too focused on getting Tae. I’m afraid he’ll rush in and mistakes will be made,” Dawon said as he crawled over to Inseong and lay his head on Inseong’s thigh.

“Hmm, how about a trial run?” Inseong said as he massaged Dawon’s scalp.

“What are you thinking?” Dawon said, closing his eyes and sighing as Inseong began massaging the tension out of his neck.

“Well, success is more likely if you’ve done a run-through, right?” Inseong said.

“Right,” Dawon muttered.

“So, you go in and get some stones and make sure you really have the layout memorized and can get in and out without detection,” Inseong said.

Dawon opened his eyes and met Inseong’s gaze. “Trying to take my job?” he said with a small smile.

Inseong laughed and rolled Dawon off of him. “Shut up!” he said.

Dawon laughed and sat up. “Your idea is good though,” he said with a smile.

“Well, I’ve been thinking,” Inseong said.

“Always dangerous,” Dawon said, laughing when Inseong punched him in the shoulder.

“Seriously. I’ve been thinking about the future,” Inseong said, pouting.

“You’re not breaking up with me are you?” Dawon said, eyes widening.

“Of course not. I’m talking about children,” Inseong said.

“Children?” Dawon muttered.

“Yes. Don’t you want to raise a son with me?” Inseong whispered.

“Are you crazy?” Dawon whispered. He grabbed Inseong’s hand and kissed it. “Of course I do. I’d love to raise a family with you.”

Inseong let out a sigh of relief and hugged Dawon. “Then let’s tell Bin my idea, and use a stone that we get to start our family for real,” Inseong said.

Dawon squeezed Inseong lightly in his embrace and said, “Okay.”

~*~*~*~*~

Dawon exchanged glances with Hwiyoung and smirked. “Keep your eyes on the target, and your ears out for your timers. No mistakes on this mission,” he said.

“We know, you want to start your family. We’ll make it happen for you. Promise,” Jaeyoon said.

Dawon smiled when he met Inseong’s eyes. He was determined for this mission to be a success and get a Heartstone so he could make Inseong’s dream of having a child become a reality. “Let’s get it done then,” Dawon said, throwing a smoke bomb down the path to their target. As the smoke filled the hallway, it revealed lasers crisscrossing the floor. “Move out,” he said, pulling up the hood of his coat as he followed after the others. They moved as quickly as they could while avoiding the lasers in the hall. One misstep, and Tae would be sending the Shadow after all of them.

When they reached the room Tae was storing most of his stones in, the squad paused to stare at the terrible beauty of the reason for their friend’s mania. “One each only, and make sure the case is completely closed before you put it back in your vest. We’ve already lost one good man to the power of the stones, we can’t lose another,” Inseong said. He fiddled with his yellow glasses, making sure they were properly covering his eyes. The last thing he needed was to make a mistake himself and go blind.

“You heard the man,” Dawon said with a smile. Hwi and Yoonie laughed and followed Inseong as he moved forward to grab a stone.

Inseong grabbed a random stone and checked it quickly for any imperfections. Seeing none, he was about to take the protective case out of his vest, when an alarm sounded in the chamber. His eyes widened and he looked to Dawon who was shaking his head. He knew that must mean no one in their group tripped the alarm. Inseong felt an all-consuming cold fear envelop him. Youngbin was on a similar run. Alone. Inseong dropped the stone back where he got it, and turned to Dawon for instructions.

“You all know what to do when we flee. Yoonie, we’re all relying on you,” Dawon said quickly.

The four men all nodded and took off running down the hall. As soon as they exited the hall they scattered, fleeing in four different directions. Dawon didn’t even dare look back one last time to look at Inseong. They had practiced this drill too many times in training for him to feel so worried. He knew they all were successful at this drill in training, but as Squad Leader, he couldn’t help worrying about all of them, not just his lover.

Dawon wasn’t sure how long he had been running before he saw Yoonie’s flare, but he knew it had been quite some time just by his surroundings. He quickly changed directions, and made his way to Yoonie’s location. The man was the best scout they had, at least since Rowoon left them. The flare indicator was something they thought of after they realized that Tae was their enemy, so the Shadow hadn’t been able to find them so far.

As Dawon reached the top of the hill he was climbing, he paused. He looked down to see three figures already standing in the mist. Dawon started running down the hill, and as he got closer, he could make out that the three figures were Hwiyoung, Jaeyoon and Youngbin. Inseong was nowhere to be seen. Dawon felt his heart skip a beat. He had run off in a direction furthest from their current position because he was the fastest runner. He should have arrived last out of his squad. Dawon looked down at his wrist to check the tracker for Inseong. He had one for each member of his squad, and they all blinked their locations at him almost mockingly from his wrist. Except for Inseong’s. Inseong’s was completely black. The trackers worked even after death, so it could only mean that the Shadow had taken Inseong.

“Dawon.” Dawon’s head jerked up and he met Youngbin’s eyes with his own wide ones.

“No,” he whispered so quietly, even he could barely hear it. Youngbin stepped forward and clasped his shoulder gently.

“Hey, we’ll get him back. I promise you. We won’t let Tae have him for long,” Youngbin said. There was a hard expression in his eyes. Dawon knew it was still hard for Youngbin to acknowledge that his younger brother was hunting them, but all Dawon could think of at the moment was that his sweet, angelic Inseong was in the hands of a madman.

Dawon collapsed against Youngbin, head resting against the older man’s chest. “Please,” was all he could manage to force out past the lump in his throat. He felt the older man’s arms wrap around him, and a hand on either of his shoulders. He knew at that moment, that these men would stop at nothing to make sure they got his lover back as quickly as possible.

Something bumped his knee and he looked down to see Youngbin’s arm, that wasn’t wrapping him in an embrace, was still holding onto his white case. He looked up at Youngbin and said, “Did you get a stone?”

“Yeah,” Youngbin said softly.

“Good,” Dawon said, voice hard as he grabbed the case from Youngbin’s hand. “We got in and out with a stone. Inseong’s plan worked. Now we can go back for real.” He then started walking back in the direction of headquarters at a brisk pace. He would get Inseong back, he didn’t care how.

~*~*~*~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please, let me know what you think~^^


	22. Taken

Chapter Twenty-One

“He does remember that Inseong’s plan was to get in and out with a stone without detection, right,” Hwi said as he watched Dawon push himself through their training obstacle course. It was the third time he had done it today, and Hwi was beginning to worry that Dawon was going to keep going until he collapsed or made a mistake and hurt himself.

“I don’t think he cares,” Jaeyoon muttered as he wiped the sweat of his brow with the back of his hand.

Hwi sighed and took a gulp of his water before saying, “He’s going to get himself killed.

“Possibly, but I doubt it. He’s just determined to get Inseong back. Safe,” Jaeyoon said.

“I can understand that,” Hwi muttered, thinking about his own lovers that he had “lost” years ago.

Jaeyoon rested a hand on Hwiyoung’s shoulder and said, “It’ll be okay Hwi. We’ll get them all back.”

“I wish I could be so confident Yoon,” Hwi muttered, shaking his head before leaving the gym. He could only take it one step at a time and worry about getting Inseong back for Dawon before he thought about his own lovers. He had been avoiding thinking about the torture that Tae had been going through since they thought he died, and he had to keep it that way so he could function properly and help Dawon.

~*~*~*~*~

“This time, we’re trying to figure out where Tae could be holding Inseong. If you find him, get him and get out,” Youngbin said. He met Yoonie and Hwi’s eyes and nodded before looking at Dawon whose jaw was clenched.

“Got it,” Dawon said.

Youngbin could see the determined gleam in the younger man’s eyes and nodded. The goal this time wasn’t to get Inseong back per say, it was more to see if they could find where he was being kept in the maze of Taeyang’s lair, and whether or not he was being guarded. “Let’s go,” he said, motioning for the other three to follow behind him.

“Hwi, you’re with Dawon,” Youngbin whispered. Hwiyoung nodded and he and Dawon ran off together. He looked to Yoonie and they held each other’s gaze for a long, silent moment before Yoonie smiled and ran off in his own direction. Youngbin took a steadying breath and made his way forward quietly.

~*~*~*~*~

“The Heartstone readings are off the chart in this direction. Do we think Taeyang would be keeping him near the stones,” Hwi asked, frowning at the readings he was getting.

“I wouldn’t put it past him. He definitely has a reason for taking Inseong, so he may try to corrupt him to get what he wants,” Dawon muttered as his eyes scanned the hall ahead of them.

“Alright,” Hwi said before continuing down the hall with Dawon.

Their counters beeped as they started counting once they had been walking for a few minutes. After another few minutes, the hall opened up into a room full of stones as well as different pieces of technology. Hwi frowned when he saw something familiar-looking sitting in the middle of the other gadgets. His hand shook as he grabbed the battered vest and picked it up.

“Is that Tae’s vest?” Dawon whispered.

“Yeah,” Hwi said, voice croaking. He dropped the vest and looked around the rest of the room. “Well, there’s only one way in and one way out, so Inseong’s not here.”

“Damn!” Dawon muttered, clenching his fists.

“Hopefully the others have better luck. Come on, let’s head back to our rendezvous point,” Hwi said.

“Yeah,” Dawon said softly, following Hwi back out the way they had come.

As they stepped out of the room, lights started flashing and a siren started blaring. Dawon and Hwi exchanged glances before sprinting down the hall. Hopefully, whoever set off the alarm wouldn’t come in contact with the Shadow.

~*~*~*~*~

Youngbin’s hand hovered over the knob of the door he was about to open, when the lights and sirens started going off. “Shit!” he muttered. He turned and looked both ways down the hall to make sure the Shadow wasn’t coming, and took off the way he had come.

As he ran through the halls, he couldn’t help but worry about the others, but mostly Hwiyoung. For whatever reason, Taeyang had ordered the Shadow to kill Hwi and Rowoon if he ever saw them, so Youngbin hoped that Hwi stuck with Dawon and got to the rendezvous point safe and sound.

Youngbin picked up his pace as he left the lair and started heading north towards their rendezvous point. As much as he was worried about Hwi, he was also worried about Yoonie. They still didn’t know why Taeyang had taken Inseong, so any one of them could be next at this point.

As the trees around him thinned out, Youngbin began to slow his pace. When he reached the clearing he stopped and waited for the others to arrive as his heart pounded in his chest. His head jerked to the left when he heard footsteps. He sighed when he saw Hwi and Dawon coming towards him. They just nodded at him and they all waited for Yoonie.

They waited the hour they agreed upon originally, in silence. All that could be heard were the crickets and the wind in the trees. “Bin,” Dawon said after they waited an extra thirty minutes.

“No, he’ll come,” Youngbin said, staring straight ahead and not meeting the younger man’s eyes. His shoulders slumped when Dawon’s hand rested on his arm. He met the other’s gaze and knew his eyes must look just as haunted as Dawon’s had when Inseong hadn’t shown up.

~*~*~*~*~

“How long has he been locked in his office?” Chani said as he and Hwi ate lunch in the dining room.

“Since we came home last night,” Hwi muttered.

Chani sighed and put his sandwich down, half eaten. “This is a mess. What are we going to do?” he said.

“I don’t know Chani,” Hwi muttered, pushing his plate away from him as his stomach churned. “I don’t know…”

~*~*~*~*~


	23. Zuho

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter today, and it's a long one haha. Hope you all like it. Let me know what you think~^^

Chapter Twenty-Two

Zuho had been observing, and hunting, the group that Hwiyoung and Rowoon were associated with for years. It was one of the first standing orders Taeyang had given him after Zuho had sworn loyalty to him. Taeyang had told him how Rowoon and Hwiyoung had left him for dead and were the cause of his brother’s death. Zuho could understand Taeyang’s need for revenge, and he was happy to help him achieve it. He owed the younger man his life after all.

In his observations, Zuho had run across the group’s youngest member training multiple times. The boy was often alone, which was honestly stupid considering how many times Zuho had almost killed both Hwiyoung and Rowoon. He didn’t know if it was the group’s stupidity for allowing it, or the boy’s for sneaking out alone to train.

For a group that Taeyang described as being nefarious or evil, the youngest member was the complete opposite. He seemed innocent and angelic when interacting with his father figure who also acted as his trainer, and he was determined when he trained alone. He didn’t understand how someone who was so kind and bright could be part of an evil group. It was the first time Zuho had ever come close to questioning what Taeyang had told him, but he shrugged it off as there just being one good seed in the group.

He had always understood Taeyang’s wish for revenge, it was a feeling he knew all too well. Something that Taeyang had helped him accomplish. Something he was more than willing to help Taeyang achieve for himself. He could understand revenge, but he couldn’t understand Taeyang asking him to capture Inseong and Jaeyoon. Inseong he could somewhat understand. From what Taeyang had told him, the man was amazing with potions, which could be beneficial to them and be detrimental to the ones he was hunting. He could not, however, understand taking Jaeyoon. The man was innocent and had also been Taeyang’s brother’s lover.

“Zuho, make sure you make Jaeyoon comfortable,” Taeyang said as he passed by the older man in the lab.

“What’s the reason for taking him? He didn’t do anything. From the stories you told me, he loved your brother,” Zuho said.

Taeyang whipped around from where he was collecting a few stones to take to where he was keeping Inseong, and said, “It’s not your place to question me. You owe me remember?”

“I do,” Zuho said, watching Taeyang cautiously. He followed the younger man with his eyes as he took the stones and strode out of the room. The Taeyang he had been seeing lately, was not the Taeyang he first met. The Taeyang he first met had still been a sweet, compassionate man. A man that had gone out of his way to help a man that no one else wanted around.

Zuho’s fathers had worked with the Heartstones and then abandoned him after being corrupted just like Taeyang’s fathers. They were kindred spirits in that way. Only, Zuho hadn’t been that young. He had been basically an adult by the time they left him, and when they had tried to corrupt him, the stones didn’t affect him. That had really set them off. They had been convinced that he was evil and needed to be cut open to be corrupted from the inside, and they had come at him with a knife.

He had no memories of what happened after that, he just remembered waking up with half-healed cuts over most of his body, and his parents were gone without a trace. He and his fathers had lived outside of their town, and he knew his parents didn’t have the best reputation in town, but he had still hoped that he would be able to get some kind of help from the people there. However, when he walked into the town, all the people he encountered looked away from him like he was invisible. Many even reacted as if he had some kind of disease. Like he was tainted.

The first night, as the sun went down and it got darker, he found out why. His cuts began to glow as it got dark, and he realized that his fathers had succeeded. As the years went on though, the scars, which had also glowed from the stone powder his fathers had rubbed in his wounds, stopped glowing, but that wasn’t until after he met Taeyang.

Taeyang had found him starving in a cave and had offered his friendship. For Zuho, who had never had a friend in his entire life, it was like an angel had come to save him. Taeyang burned that town to the ground, and said it was for Zuho. The man had always been quick to anger and become violent, but it had never been directed towards him. Until, the first time he questioned him.

Taeyang explained what happened to him. That his lovers left him to die, and because of their failure his brother had died. He wanted revenge against them, and he wanted Zuho to kill them. Zuho understood wanting his revenge, but he couldn’t stomach his other order. To kill any of the group that got in Zuho’s way of killing Hwiyoung and Rowoon. When Zuho questioned Taeyang about this, Taeyang had roared in anger and thrown him against the wall. It was then, with the strength that was unnatural for someone of Taeyang’s size, that Zuho realized that Taeyang wasn’t immune to the stones like he was. No, Taeyang was corrupted, and as much as he was loyal to the younger man for how he had saved his life, he knew he had to tread carefully.

Zuho shook his head and sighed, standing and heading towards the dining area of their headquarters. Taeyang wanted him to make sure Jaeyoon was comfort, so he would make sure the man had all the comforts he could need until Taeyang decided he was done with him.

~*~*~*~*~

Chani shuddered as he saw the dark look in his papa’s eyes. When the Shadow had taken Inseong, it had broken Dawon’s heart, and lit a fire in him to get him back. But when Jaeyoon had been taken, Youngbin had gone cold and distant. Dawon had immediately forbade him from going into the field with his new attitude because it would make him reckless. The fight the two older men had after that, had been the worst fight Chani had ever seen the two have, and it had quickly turned physical (until Hwiyoung had stepped in).

Now, Youngbin was seeing the squad off on their mission after finally agreeing to stay behind and have Chani go in his place. Chani had trained with Dawon for almost as long as Hwi, Tae and Rowoon, but had always preferred his studies with Inseong. Even so, he would do what he had to do to get back Inseong and Jaeyoon and keep his papa from doing something stupid.

“Alright, let’s go,” Dawon said before taking off at a run in the direction of Tae’s hideout.

Chani followed closely behind Dawon and saw Hwiyoung move to run behind him. Chani hoped that choice wasn’t because Hwiyoung thought he needed to protect Chani. Chani would kick his ass after this mission if that’s what it was. Chani slowed and came to a stop next to Dawon a safe distance from the hideout. Chani took this moment to catch his breath before the hard part of the mission began. Chani was going to retrieve some stones as Hwiyoung and Dawon scouted out the rest of the hideout to see where Inseong and Jaeyoon were being kept.

Dawon turned towards the two younger men and gave them a stern look. “Remember the plan. Don’t do anything stupid Chani, we need to restock our potions, so get at least five stones and then get out. Don’t wait for us to return. I want you out of here as soon as possible,” Dawon said.

“Got it,” Chani said with a nod.

“Hwi, if you find where either Jaeyoon or Inseong are being held, mark it on your wrist map. Do not try to get them out on your own. Got it?” Dawon said.

“Got it,” Hwiyoung said with a determined set to his face.

Dawon nodded and signaled for them to move out. Chani followed behind the two more experienced men until they came to where he would turn to go get the stones. Dawon placed a comforting hand on Chani’s shoulder and Chani nodded before taking off towards his part of the mission. He moved cautiously through the corridor for several minutes before his counter beeped, signaling that he was close to the stones.

When Chani turned the corner, he could see the red glow of the Heartstones in their unprotected glass cases. Chani felt his heart thunder against his chest. He had heard the stories of how many stones Taeyang had amassed, but hearing stories was nothing compared to seeing the sheer number for himself. The terrible beauty of the stone seemed to pulse and try to drag him in. Chani shook himself out of his observations of the stone and took a silent step into the room.

He chose to focus on the case of stones closest to him, and thus closest to the exit. He carefully opened the case with steady hands that were used to handling raw stones, and cautiously grabbed one of the stones. He breathed out, relieved, when nothing happened, and placed the stone in one of the stone cases in his vest. He grabbed another stone and then another, and as he was grabbing for a stone case for the third stone, the lights in the room started flashing and a loud wailing siren started. Chani started and dropped the stone which shattered. “Shit,” he whispered.

Instead of turning and running, like he knew he was supposed to when something like this happened, Chani was determined to finish his mission. He turned back towards the stones and grabbed three more quickly. He fumbled two of them into their cases before he heard footsteps moving rapidly closer towards his location. Chani took one second to look down at the stone and decide to run without placing it in his case. He would find a safe space to stop and put it away before it could be a concern.

Chani took off through the corridor he entered just as he saw a black clad shape entering the stone room. He felt a chill go through him as he realized just who was hunting him. He had never encountered the Shadow himself, but he had heard the stories, and he had helped heal the wounds inflicted by him. Chani picked up his pace, heart pounding in his ears.

As he left Taeyang’s hideout, he headed towards the ruins from the time before the mist, hoping that the Shadow wouldn’t expect him to go there alone. He knew these ruins well; he had trained here alone for years. It was perfect for training for cave-ins, since the ruins were prone to crumbling randomly. Chani scrambled over a metal column that lay across his path, looking back quickly. His heart leapt into his throat as he saw the Shadow far too close for comfort.

Chani looks down at the stone still in his hand, unprotected. There was no time now to stop and put it in a case. Chani took off towards a much less stable part of the ruins, hoping to lose the Shadow in the chaos that could stir there. Chani picked up his pace again, feeling his calves burn as he heard the Shadow closing in on him. He leapt over a crevasse in the ground from a past earthquake, tripping as the ground beneath him shuddered. He crawled forward as the ground began to crumble out from beneath him. He hissed as he felt a sharp pain in his palm.

Chani’s eyes widened as he saw the stone embedded in his palm. He hadn’t thought about the stone when he caught himself. Had the stone been sharp enough to cut his palm that deeply? He looked back to see the Shadow watching him from the other side of the crevasse. Chani gulped as he picked himself up and headed in the direction of headquarters. He needed to get there as quickly as possible, before the stone did to him what it had to Taeyang.

He stumbled as he climbed over the last of the rubble, leaving the ruins behind. It felt like his body was getting heavier and heavier the further he ran, and his lungs felt like they were wrapped in a vice grip. He stumbled again, but this time his knees buckled and hit the ground. Sweat was running down Chani’s face as he pulled his goggles off and dropped them on the ground. He panted, taking note of the way he could see his breath in the cold night air. Chani struggled up onto wobbling legs and took off running again. His vision was beginning to tunnel, and there was a voice in the back of his head that kept whispering to him, encouraging him to stop running. To take a break.

Chani gasped as he tumbled sideways, catching himself on a tree. He cried out when his injured hand made contact with the rough bark, and the stone dug its way deeper into his palm, and his mind. His vision went dark as his knees gave out, but he was unconscious before his body hit the ground.

~*~*~*~*~

Zuho’s heart fluttered fearfully as he watched the younger man jump across the crevasse and almost fall with the crumbling ground. When Taeyang had ordered him to kill whoever he could find of the group, Zuho hadn’t been expecting to see the young man he had been secretly helping when the other ran into obstacles in his solo training. To his knowledge, the younger man had never been on a real mission.

He watched as the younger man struggled to his feet, and his eyes widened when he saw the stone embedded in the younger man’s hand. Had he been carrying the stone all this time? No wonder the other had been so reckless in his escape route. The stone must already be affecting him. He had heard that those who worked closely with the stones were much quicker to be corrupted when not cautious with the stones.

Zuho decided then that he would help the younger man. He found another way across the crevasse and then followed the younger man’s trail. The younger was beginning to be increasingly sloppy, leaving signs of his direction everywhere. Zuho frowned when he saw something laying on the ground. He bent down and picked up the pair of goggles he knew the younger man always wore. He stood, securing the goggles to his belt to return to the younger man later. He continued forward only a few minutes more before finding the other man lying prone on the ground.

He fell to his knees beside the younger boy and rolled him over onto his back. His pulse was erratic, and his breathing slow. Zuho checked the other’s hand, and decided the stone was too deep to remove without proper equipment and potions on hand. He would have to get the younger to his group’s headquarters where he hoped they had the equipment and potions he would need to save the boy. Zuho picked the younger man up and stood, heading in the direction of the group’s headquarters, which he had known the location of for the last few months, since he took Inseong.

~*~*~*~*~

Zuho slowed down as the group’s headquarters came into sight. He took a steadying breath, looking up at the large fence surrounding the headquarters. He had known where it was for months, but he had never been able to find an easy way in. He stiffened when he felt a knife at his back. “Put him down,” a voice said steadily.

“I’m just trying to help him,” he said slowly.

“You? Help people?” the voice said skeptically.

“Yes, I’m really trying to help. Please, he could die if we delay too long,” he said, turning slowly as he felt the knife pulled away from him. His eyes widened when he saw that it was Rowoon standing there.

“You have one chance. Do anything I don’t like…” Rowoon said, shaking his head.

“I know it’s hard for you to believe this, but I really do just want to help” Zuho said.

“Fine. Follow me,” Rowoon said, heading off towards the south side of the compound. Halfway down the south side of the fence, Zuho could see where the fence had been cut and then reclosed with plastic ties. Rowoon cut the ties away, and pulled the fence out of the way, motioning for Zuho to go through first. Rowoon followed him through, and Zuho waited as the other man retied the fence closed. “Let’s go,” Rowoon said, heading in the direction of the biggest building on the property. When they got to the door, Rowoon knocked raptly.

“Chani, oh thank goodness,” a voice said before the door swung inwards. “You’re not Chani,” Hwiyoung said, backing up into the common area as Zuho followed him, carrying Chani.

“What the hell!” Dawon said as he saw the Shadow carrying his surrogate son.

“He’s injured. Do you have an infirmary, so I can help him?” Zuho said.

“Help him? Why would you want to do that? You’ve only tried to kill his whole family,” Dawon growled.

“Yes, I have. But that was before I started to question the story Taeyang told me when he saved my life,” Zuho said with a grimace. “Now, your infirmary, please. I can save him if you let me.”

“Fine, but one of us is with you at all times,” Dawon said as he gestured for Zuho to follow him to the infirmary.

Zuho placed Chani down on the table and turned to the older man, saying, “Are there any potions stocked?”

“Chani started stocking and labeling with instructions after you took Inseong,” Dawon said, glaring as he opened the potion cabinet for Zuho. “We were trying to get more stones tonight, we’re almost out again.”

“Thank you,” Zuho said. He could feel the guilt of his actions towards this group trying to overwhelm him, but he forced himself to stay focused on helping the young man on the table.

“The medical equipment is in the drawer underneath the potion cabinet,” Dawon grumbled.

Zuho nodded and took out what he would need to extract the stone and stitch up the younger’s palm first. Then he looked through the potions the younger had carefully labeled in a neat, flowing handwriting. He grabbed one that would help keep the wound from getting infected, and one that was labeled for stone exposure. He hoped the second one would be enough to counter the effects the stone was having on the younger man.

“How long has he been exposed,” Dawon whispered, leaning against the wall out of Zuho’s way.

“Probably since you tripped our alarms on Jaeyoon’s room,” Zuho said as he worked on extracting the stone from Chani’s hand.

“Damn!” Dawon said. Not only had Chani been exposed for such a long time, but they had also been so close to finding one of their family members.

“He’ll be fine,” Zuho said.

“Why are you helping him? Helping us?” Dawon said.

“Because I’ve realized that Taeyang obviously isn’t well, and your group isn’t evil like he said it was. He has Inseong under the control of the stones, trying to get him to resurrect his brother,” Zuho said, tying off the stitches in Chani’s hand. He started sitting the boy up, and Dawon moved to help him with a dark look in his eyes.

“His brother isn’t dead,” Dawon growled as Zuho gave Chani the potions.

“What?” Zuho’s eyes widened as he stared at the older man.

“The mission we thought Taeyang died on, was to get a stone to save our leader, Tae’s brother. Rowoon and Hwiyoung completed that mission. Well, Rowoon did,” Dawon said.

“I feel like my entire view of the world just shattered into a million pieces,” Zuho said as he and Dawon lay the younger man back down.

“That’s how we felt when we found Taeyang still alive,” Dawon said, sighing and rubbing his eyes. “Look, thank you for saving Chani’s life. You didn’t have to do that, and I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. I’d like to help you get the rest of your group back if you’ll let me. That includes Taeyang,” Zuho said with a sincere smile.

“That…that would be amazing. Wait until Youngbin hears this. Hopefully he’ll snap out of this funk. Wait, what’s your name?” Dawon said with wide eyes. 

“Zuho,” Zuho said with a grin.

Dawon smiled back and said, “Well Zuho, you’re welcome as long as you are actually helping. We’ll still be keeping a cautious eye on you.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Zuho said.

~*~*~*~*~

“What are you doing here, with him?” Hwiyoung said. He was standing against the wall his arms crossed and his eyes were burning as he stared at his lover.

“I was coming to leave some information, and found him standing outside the fence,” Rowoon said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking at his feet.

“Taeyang’s not dead,” Hwiyoung said without preamble, and without any emotion in his voice. He was trying to keep a strong mask up in front of the other man.

“What!” Rowoon asked, head whipping up and wide eyes meeting Hwi’s hard ones.

“He’s the one hoarding the stones, and the Shadow just works for him,” Hwiyoung said.

Rowoon’s mouth opened like he was going to say something, but he closed it without a noise and just clenched his eyes shut and fell back against the wall behind him. “I…I don’t know what to say,” Rowoon whispered.

Hwi stepped in front of the taller man and grabbed his hand between both of his. “You come back to us, and you help us get him back, and you be there for him, and me, as he goes through whatever detox Inseong needs to put him through,” he said. He gulped before closing his eyes and dropping the other man’s hand and looking away. “I need you.”

Hwi felt a tear leave his eyes as Rowoon’s large hand cupped his cheek and turned his face back to look at him. “I don’t think there is anything I can do to make up for how much I’ve hurt you, but I can start by standing by you now as we get Tae back,” he said.

Hwi sobbed and fell into Rowoon’s chest, wrapping his arms around the taller man. Rowoon wrapped his arms around him and held him tightly. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

~*~*~*~*~

“Dawon said you saved my life,” Chani said, voice hoarse from disuse. It had apparently been a week since that failed mission, and he had just woken up a few minutes ago to a wide-eyed excited dad who had crushed him in a hug before running away. He had returned with the Shadow who was apparently named Zuho and had saved his life.

Zuho just grunted in reply as he checked Chani’s wound to make sure there was no infection. Once he was satisfied, he nodded and handed Chani a potion for the pain.

Chani drank the potion as he eyed the older man. “Why did you do that? We’re your enemy.”

“No, you’re Taeyang’s enemy. And that’s only because of the stones,” Zuho said.

Chani hummed and said, “Why did you follow my brother in the first place?”

Zuho paused and met Chani’s eyes. He could only see innocent curiosity in the younger’s gaze. No judgement. “He saved my life. I owed him” Zuho said.

“An honorable reason,” Chani said with a smile.

Zuho stared at the other in surprise. “Thank you,” he said.

“I’m glad you’re with us now. There’s no way we won’t get our family back now,” Chani said with another dazzling smile.

Zuho flushed before telling the younger to get some rest, and then he escaped the infirmary. He gulped when he saw the others gazing at him suspiciously and rushed to his borrowed room to think about why his heart was pounding.

~*~*~*~*~

“I don’t trust him,” Youngbin said, arms crossed as he watched Zuho rush from the infirmary to his borrowed room.

“I don’t fully trust him yet either, but he saved Chani’s life,” Dawon said.

“This could be a trap,” Youngbin growled.

“I know that, but this is also our best chance of getting Seongie and Yoonie back Bin. I’m willing to take that risk. Aren’t you?” Dawon said, begging the other man to agree.

“Okay,” Youngbin said.

Dawon sighed and said, “Thank you, Bin.”

~*~*~*~*~

Chani couldn’t stand the way that everyone was treating Zuho. He understood it of course. He understood that up until recently Zuho had been their enemy and had almost killed Hwiyoung and Rowoon on multiple occasions, but he also knew that Zuho had save his life and was going to help them fix their little family. Zuho had done nothing but hover around Chani making sure he was recovering properly and not trying to do anything strenuous too soon after being injured.

So, Chani did not like the way that Dawon and Youngbin were still treating Zuho like he was a wild animal that could attack at any moment. Like right now, they were glaring at Zuho even though the man was currently showing them the layout of Taeyang’s hideout, and the best way to infiltrate and get their family out.

“Would you guys stop looking at him like he’s going to kill us all?” Chani said.

Dawon and Youngbin looked at Chani with shocked wide eyes, and Zuho had hunched his shoulders but not straightened from where he was leaning over the table and the blueprint, he had been making for them.

“Chani,” Dawon started, pausing when he saw Chani’s glare.

“Don’t Chani me, dad. What Zuho did in the past? He was following orders. Taeyang’s orders. Now, he is helping us, and getting nothing in return,” Chani said.

“Chani, it’s hard to trust someone who has almost killed your brother more than once,” Youngbin said.

“I trust him. Since he saved me, he’s done nothing but protect me and help us come up with a way to save our family,” Chani said.

“Chani, it’s okay,” Zuho muttered.

“No, it’s not. I don’t like it. It’s not right,” Chani said, crossing his arms with a stubborn pout. Zuho gave him a hesitant smile, but Youngbin and Dawon both grumbled. “Shut both of your mouths. I like him,” Chani said, grabbing Zuho’s hand and intertwining their fingers. He ignored Zuho’s blush and widened eyes before continuing, “And I trust him.”

~*~*~*~*~


	24. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope everyone is staying safe during this time.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Unless Tae has made changes since I disappeared, I should be able to disable his security systems,” Zuho said as he and Tae’s family stood around the blueprint of Taeyang’s hideout that was laying across Youngbin’s desk.

“And what if he has? I’m sure the stones have made him paranoid if he ordered you to kill Rowoon and I,” Hwi said, arms crossed and glaring at the older man.

“I can bypass them. I built the system, but it will take longer and we’ll be more likely to be discovered. So, let's hope he hasn’t,” Zuho said.

“Okay, since we have a way through the security, is there anything else we need to know? Any habits Tae has that we need to know about to get them all out successfully,” Youngbin asked.

“He mostly keeps to his room or the closest stone room at the time we’re hitting, so he should be easy to find, but getting him out of there will more than likely be difficult,” Zuho said, sighing.

“We’ll go in three teams,” Dawon said, leaning against the desk.

“Yes, but who will go with who, and who will they try to recover,” Hwi asked.

“Youngbin shouldn’t go for Jaeyoon, and Dawon shouldn’t go for Inseong,” Rowoon said from the corner of the room where he was leaning against the wall. Everyone stared at him for a few silent moments because he hadn’t spoke up in any of the meetings since he came back, until now.

“I agree,” Chani said quickly. “I think it would be too much of a distraction for each of you.”

“I also agree,” Hwi said softly.

“Fine, Zuho and I will get Jaeyoon,” Dawon said.

“And why are you paired with Zuho,” Chani asked, raising his brow in suspicion.

“To keep an eye on him,” Dawon said simply.

“Are you kidding me?” Chani exclaimed.

“Chani,” Zuho muttered.

“No. You have done nothing but help us since you brought me here, and they’re still suspicious of you. I won’t have it. I’m paired with Zuho,” Chani said, crossing his arms, daring his fathers to contradict him. There were times when he could use being the youngest against both of them, and this was one of them.

“Absolutely not. He goes with either Youngbin or I. I don’t care how much he has helped us. The little amount of time he has been helping us, does not make up for the years that he has been trying to kill Rowoon and Hwiyoung!” Dawon said.

“No, he goes with me. You can go with papa and make sure he doesn’t get reckless,” Chani said.

“Hey!” Youngbin muttered.

“Sorry, but you’ve been acting crazy lately,” Chani whispered.

“Fair enough,” Youngbin muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “Zuho and Chani will get Jaeyoon since he should be the easiest to recover.”

“Fine, we’ll get Taeyang since he’ll be the most difficult,” Dawon said between gritted teeth.

“So that leaves Hwiyoung and Rowoon to get Inseong,” Youngbin said.

“Do we really think that’s wise?” Chani said.

“There’s no other options Chani. You’re the one who wanted to be paired with Zuho, and who wants me to watch after Youngbin,” Dawon said.

“We’ll be fine,” Hwi said.

Rowoon moved closer to the table, stopping at Hwiyoung’s side. “We’ve made our peace with each other. We’re both going into this with clear heads. Let’s get our family back,” he said.

“Alright. We all know the plan. Go get ready and meet back here in an hour,” Youngbin said.

“Got it Boss,” Dawon said with a small smile, before heading out.

As everyone left his office, Youngbin slumped down on his chair and released a shaky breath. If all went well, their family would be complete again in just a couple of hours. If all didn’t go well… Well, he didn’t want to even entertain the thought.

~*~*~*~*~

“Okay everyone, remember the goal. Bring our family home,” Youngbin said, as Zuho was working on the security system. Dawon just nodded from Youngbin’s side and Hwiyoung and Rowoon also nodded their acknowledgements.

“We’ll bring them home Papa,” Chani said with a smile.

“Done,” Zuho said, coming back over to stand by Chani’s side.

“Alright everyone, let’s go,” Youngbin said, signaling the other two teams to precede him and Dawon into the compound.

~*~*~*~*~

“So, you never did say why exactly Tae had you take Inseong and Jaeyoon,” Chani whispered as he and Zuho made their ways down the dimly lit hall towards where Jaeyoon was being held.

Zuho sighed and said, “Well, he said he wanted Inseong to resurrect your brother. And Jaeyoon… Jaeyoon he wanted for when your brother was resurrected. Since he is your brother’s lover.”

“That’s insane…the stones can’t resurrect people,” Chani said.

“Looking back now, I realize it sounds crazy, but I was blinded by loyalty. He saved my life,” Zuho said.

“I understand owing someone your life,” Chani whispered.

“From the stories Taeyang has told me, your whole family does,” Zuho muttered. He stopped in front of a door that looked like all of the others Chani had seen so far. “We’re here,” he said, pulling a key out of his coat pocket.

Chani nodded, and Zuho turned the knob and opened the door. Chani entered first and scanned the quite luxurious room. He didn’t see Jaeyoon at first, but then he noticed the couch in a dark corner of the room. The older man was reading, and apparently hadn’t noticed the door opening. “Yoonie!” Chani said, rushing towards the older man.

“Chani?” Jaeyoon said, gasping as he bolted up from the couch, and caught the younger man in a fierce hug. “What are you doing here?”

“We all came to get you, Inseong and Tae back,” Chani said, pulling back from the hug with a huge grin.

“Chani, we need to go. Now,” Zuho said from the doorway.

“What’s he doing here?” Jaeyoon said, pushing Chani behind him.

“It’s okay, he’s helping us,” Chani said, grabbing Jaeyoon’s hand and pulling him towards the door.

“What?” Jaeyoon muttered.

“It’s a long story. I’ll explain when we get back to headquarters. We can’t linger,” Chani said.

“Alright,” Jaeyoon, said, eyeing Zuho suspiciously, but following him and Chani anyway.

~*~*~*~*~

“The room Inseong’s being held in is up ahead on the right. The stone readings are off the chart in this area,” Hwi muttered.

“Don’t worry Hwi. We’ll get him out and Chani will fix him up,” Rowoon said as they reached Inseong’s room.

Hwi took the key Zuho had given him out of his picket, and opened the door, entering the room cautiously. He looked out for Inseong to attack them because of the influence of the stones. When nothing happened, he motioned for Rowoon to follow him into the room. He spotted Inseong right away, knocked out at the desk, surrounded by glowing Heartstones and other ingredients. Hwi sighed in relief when he saw Inseong was wearing his protective goggles. “Good to know Tae isn’t so far gone he was exposing Inseong without his goggles,” Hwi said.

“What do you mean?” Rowoon said, moving to pick Inseong up.

“Did you forget that lesson?” Hwi said with a snort. “People, like Inseong and Chani, who work closely with the stones, usually go blind before thirty. The only thing that protects Chani and Inseong is the goggles Dawon invented,” Hwi said as he and Rowoon made their way out of the room with Inseong.

“Maybe this is a good sign then,” Rowoon said. Even after all these years apart, Hwi could still recognize Rowoon’s tells, and he could tell Rowoon was just as hopeful as he was. Maybe even more so, since the man still felt guilty even after Tae had tried to explain the cave in wasn’t his fault.

~*~*~*~*~

“Are you ready for this?” Dawon whispered. They were standing outside of Taeyang’s room preparing themselves for what they had to do next.

“As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s do what we have to do to get him back,” Youngbin said, sighing.

“Alright, let’s go,” Dawon said, pushing the door open and slipping in silently, Youngbin following close behind him.

Dawon quickly scanned the room and realized it was empty. He saw Youngbin move further into the room at the same time that the only other door in the room opened. Out walked Taeyang, with a towel wrapped low on his hips. Dawon’s eyes widened as he took in the array of scars that littered the younger man’s torso and leg, and which could only be from the cave-in that they thought he died in. He heard Youngbin’s soft gasp and jumped into action as Taeyang’s head snapped in their direction.

Taeyang snarled and leapt at Dawon and the two slammed into each other. Dawon grabbed Tae’s wrist as the younger man tried to wrap his hands around his throat. “Tae come on. It’s me, Dawon. Fight the stones, please,” Dawon begged as the younger man punched him in the face before grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back. Dawon gasped as he felt his muscles pull and he fell to his knees.

“Taeyang!” Youngbin said.

Dawon clutched his aching arm when Taeyang dropped it to turn to face Youngbin. “You’re not real. You’re an illusion,” Taeyang hissed.

“Tae, I’m really here. Rowoon and Hwiyoung were able to get the stone back to me and Inseong healed me. Do you remember when I told you why our fathers left us? What did I tell you was the cause,” Youngbin asked, taking a cautious step forward.

“The stones,” Tae said between clenched teeth.

“Yes, the stones. So, I need you to fight them now. You’re still good Tae, just like them,” Youngbin whispered, moving another step closer. He watched as Tae seemed to struggle with himself, and moved closer again. “Come on Tae.”

“Bin,” Tae muttered, clenching his eyes shut for just a moment. It was just long enough for Dawon to grab him and cover his mouth and nose with a clothful of Chloroform. Taeyang struggled for a few moments before falling limp in Dawon’s arms.

“Let’s get him home Bin,” Dawon said softly, lifting the younger man into his arms. “Lead the way boss.”

Youngbin took another moment to drink in the sight of his brother in Dawon’s arms, and thus finally coming home, before heading back out of the compound. The sooner they returned to Headquarters, the sooner they could begin to repair their family.

~*~*~*~*~


	25. Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here's another chapter. I typed this up at my second school which I can't post on that computer, so I had to post from my phone. So, the formatting is just not good, and I apologize hahaha.

Chapter Twenty-Four

  
“How’s Inseong doing,” Dawon asked as he watched Chani move around the infirmary. It had been a few days since they had brought their three family members back, and Chani had been busy ever since. It had gotten to the point that Youngbin and Dawon would have to intervene and force the younger man to eat and get some sleep.

  
“He’s doing much better; you can visit starting tomorrow. He should be in the clear the day after tomorrow,” Chani muttered as he rooted through the potions cabinet. 

  
“That’s great but, you need to eat something,” Dawon said, stepping into the room and grabbing Chani’s elbow firmly, steering him away from the cabinet and out of the room. 

  
Chani sighed and said, “I’m fine dad, really.”

  
“Hmm, I don’t think so. Last time I saw you eat was lunch yesterday,” Dawon said.

  
Chani rolled his eyes and huffed, but continued to let Dawon steer him towards the kitchen. He sat down at the table and smiled as Dawon puttered around the kitchen to make him lunch. When a plate with two sandwiches was placed in front of him he sighed and picked one up and took a bite. He moaned when the taste of crispy chicken reached his tongue. “When did we get chicken?”

  
“We had it for dinner last night. I saved some for you,” Dawon said with a fond smile. “When you’re done there-“

  
“I know. Go to bed,” Chani said with a huff.

  
“Good. I’ll keep an eye on Inseong’s monitors, and Youngbin will keep the boys from breaking into Tae’s room before he’s ready for visitors,” Dawon said.

  
“Thanks,” Chani said, sighing and letting his tense shoulders relax a little bit in relief.

  
“No problem. Sleep at least eight hours,” Dawon said. He ruffled Chani’s hair before heading out of the kitchen and towards the infirmary to watch over Inseong’s monitors while Chani slept.

  
~*~*~*~*~

  
A few days later, Youngbin was leaving his office and on his way to check in with Chani to see how Tae was doing, when he stopped in his tracks at the open door to the kitchen. “Inseong?” he said, peeking into the room to be sure he wasn’t seeing things. 

  
“Hey Bin,” Inseong said with a small smile. He was sitting at the table, watching Dawon cook dinner for the family.

  
“Hey, how are you feeling,” Youngbin asked.

  
“So much better. I can’t even explain how those stones make you feel,” Inseong muttered, staring down at the mug of tea he had his hands wrapped around.

  
“Well, that doesn’t matter now. You’re home and with family. We’re here for you no matter what you need,” Youngbin said.

  
“I’m going to check in with Chani,” Youngbin said.

  
“Oh, I sent him to bed. I checked on Taeyang myself. I sent Rowoon and Hwiyoung in with him,” Inseong said.

  
“Is he ready for visitors already,” Youngbin asked, frowning and sitting down across from Inseong.

  
“Technically no, but I think them being with him will be good for him. I’m hoping that they’ll be able to keep this process from crippling or killing him,” Inseong muttered, sighing and rubbing his temples.

  
“How long do you think it will take?” Youngbin said.

  
“A few months. At least,” Inseong said.

  
“Damn. Okay, let me know if there’s anything you need.”

  
“No problem. Thanks Bin,” Inseong said with a smile.

  
Youngbin nodded and headed out of the kitchen towards his room with Yoonie. It would be a long road for Taeyang, but Youngbin was hopeful everything would work out well in the end. Especially now that Inseong was back on his feet.

  
~*~*~*~*~

  
Dawon was sitting in bed waiting for Inseong to finish in the shower after a busy day for the older man. It had been one of Taeyang’s ad days, and the man had been violent with terrible mood swings. One moment he seemed to be back to his old self, then the next second he would be trying to choke Hwiyoung or crying in the corner afraid of anyone in the room.

  
He looked up when the bathroom door opened and smiled at his obviously tired lover. “You okay,” he asked as Inseong lay his head on Dawon’s thigh and sighed.

  
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said.

  
“How’s Peanut doing,” Dawon asked with a huge grin.

  
Inseong chuckled and said, “Another week and we’ll have a monster of our own to raise.”

  
“Hopefully he’s more like Hwi than Chani,” Dawon said, laughing. 

  
“Let’s hope so. For my sake,” Inseong muttered, yawning.

  
Dawon lay down and pulled Inseong into his arms. “He’ll love you,” Dawon whispered, kissing Inseong’s head. Any son of his would adore Inseong. No question.

  
~*~*~*~*~

  
Jaeyoon knocked on the doorframe to Youngbin’s office, getting the man’s attention off of the paperwork on his desk.

  
“Hey Yoonie,” Youngbin said, smiling softly.

  
“Hey you,” Yoonie said, sitting down on the edge of Youngbin’s desk.

  
They just looked at each other in silence for a few moments. Youngbin was waiting for Yoonie to say why he was there, but it was starting to look like he was going to have to pry it out of him. “So?” he said, brow raising in question.

  
“So…” Yoonie said with a smile.

  
“Okay Yoonie, you have to help me out here. I can’t read your mind,” Youngbin said with a sigh.

  
“You know, now that our family is back together, and Dawon and Inseong have Seungmin, I’ve been thinking,” Jaeyoon said with a grin.

  
“About?” Youngbin said cautiously.

  
“Kids,” Jaeyoon said simply.

  
“Kids…” Youngbin muttered.

  
“Yeah, kids. I know you’ve practically raised three, but don’t you want one that’s yours?” Jaeyoon said with a pout.

  
“You mean one that’s ours?” Youngbin said.

  
“Yeah,” Jaeyoon whispered.

  
Youngbin grabbed Yoonie’s hand and held it in both of his. “Of course I do Yoonie,” he said.

  
Jaeyoon grinned and grabbed Youngbin’s shirt and pulled him into a deep kiss. “I’ll go tell Inseong,” he said bbreathlessly when they pulled apart. He grinned, kissed Youngbin’s cheek, then sprinted out of his office. Youngbin shook his head at Yoonie’s antics, but he couldn’t wipe the huge grin off his face.

  
~*~*~*~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you thought~^^


	26. Recovery Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same as last chapter, please excuse the formatting. I apologize~^^

Chapter Twenty-Five

  
For the past six months, things had been insane in their Headquarters, but at the same time they had established a routine. Inseong and Chani spent most of their time either refining the stones or taking care of Taeyang. Rowoon and Hwiyoung had all but moved into Taeyang’s recovery room to be there for him through his good and bad days. Jaeyoon had been going on solo missions for stones while Dawon and Youngbin took care of their sons.

  
Currently, the whole family was gathered at the dinner table. For the first time in years, the whole family included Taeyang. The younger man was pale and had dark bags under his eyes, but he had a smile on his face. He sat confidently between Hwiyoung and Rowoon as they all ate their first meal together. 

  
“How are you feeling Tae,” Chani asked with a smile.

  
“Compared to how I have been feeling, I feel amazing,” Tae said with a grin.

  
“That’s good. You’re cleared to leave the recovery room for good now too,” Inseong said, wiping the mashed potatoes off of Dawon’s cheek. Dawon smiled at him gratefully as he continued trying to feed the potatoes to Seungmin. Seungmin thought this was a game and most of the time took the food out of his mouth and threw it. Usually at Dawon.

  
“It’ll be nice to get back to something more familiar,” Tae said.

  
“Your room hasn’t been changed since you left for that last mission,” Dawon said, ducking another glob of potatoes and snickering when it hit Inseong in the temple. He gave Inseong an innocent look before wiping the food off for him.

  
“I know Rowoon left, but Hwi stayed…” Tae said, frowning at the younger man.

  
“Too many memories,” Hwi muttered.

  
Tae rested his hand on top of Hwi’s and said, “Well, I’m back now. You both are welcome back in there. If you want.”

  
Hwi flipped his hand over and threaded his fingers with Tae’s. “Of course I want to be there,” he said.

  
Rowoon grabbed Tae’s other hand and said, “Would we have spent months with you through mood swings and sickness if we didn’t want to be with you?”

  
“He has a good point,” Hwi said with a grin.

  
“You’re more and more like Dawon every day,” Tae said with a smile.

  
“That better not be meant as an insult,” Dawon said as he stood with Seungmin in his arms.

  
“Of course not,” Tae said with a smile.

  
Dawon narrowed his eyes before shaking his head and heading out of the kitchen. Inseong laughed and said, “I better go help him or he’ll be soaked through by the end of Seungmin’s bath. Again,” before standing and following Dawon out.

  
“I’m glad you’re feeling better Tae,” Youngbin said softly, trying to keep from waking Yunho, who was fast asleep on his shoulder.

  
“Thanks Bin,” Tae said with a small smile.

  
“I’ll take him Bin. You finish eating,” Jaeyoon said, dropping his plate in the sink before carefully taking Yunho from Youngbin, and leaving the kitchen.

  
“You’re actually done, aren’t you,” Hwi asked with a smirk.

  
“Yup, but I know he’s just trying to help, so what’s the harm,” Youngbin said with a grin.

  
“Inseong said I can’t work with stones any more. So, I’ve been wondering if you’ll let me take over the trading. So I can be helpful again,” Taeyang said, meeting Youngbin’s eyes hopefully.

  
“Of course,” Youngbin said with an easy smile.

  
“Thanks,” Tae said with a sigh.

  
“No thanks necessary. You guys go get some rest. I’ll do dishes,” Youngbin said.

  
Hwi and Rowoon stood quickly and dragged Taeyang out of the kitchen with grateful looks at Youngbin. They had some reacquainting to do.

  
~*~*~*~*~

  
Chani knocked on the doorframe to Youngbin’s office and said, “Hey you.” He smiled when Zuho lifted his head from the paperwork he was working on. “Almost finished for the day?”

  
“I had a few more things to go over. Why?” Zuho said.

  
“I was thinking, since Tae is better and I have a lot more free time, we could finally go on an official date,” Chani said, trying to keep from blushing.

  
Zuho stared at the younger man quietly for a moment. Both of them had been so bust the last several months; Chani with helping Inseong with Taeyang, and he with covering for Youngbin as the man cared for his young son. In that time, they had seen little of each other, except at dinner. “I think these can wait until tomorrow,” Zuho said, standing from the desk and smiling at the younger man.

  
“Yes,” Chani whispered with a grin.

  
Zuho chuckled and said, “Come on. I’ll make us some food and we’ll have a picnic.”

  
“That sounds amazing,” Chani said, grabbing Zuho’s hand and dragging him towards the kitchen, and Zuho just followed him with a fond smile.

  
~*~*~*~*~


	27. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we come to the end of this story. This is so bittersweet for me. Thank you all for the support, and I hope you like the ending. Let me know what you think, and look out for the next SF9 fic from me. I have so many more planned it's crazy. I'm already starting to work on the next one so... ^^

Epilogue

“Uncle Chani!”

Chani was walking past the library with his son – Yonghwa – in his arms, when he heard his name called. He ducked his head into the room and said, “Hey Jihoon. What are you up to?”

“Studying,” Jihoon said with a loud sigh.

Chani chuckled and moved over to where the fifteen year old was sitting. “It won’t be for long. Soon you’ll be training with Dawon. Just like Seungmin.

“I know,” Jihoon muttered, pouting. “Hey, do you know why my dad’s listed as the Wounded Warrior?”

Chani’s smile fell and he inhaled sharply. “That’s something you should ask him Hoon. I’ve gotta go. Gotta feed Yonghwa,” Chani said with a small smile, before hightailing it out of the library before the boy could pester him for an answer. Chani knew most of Tae’s files had ben blacked out so the boys wouldn’t read about what happened, but that had obviously made Jihoon more curious about it. He sighed, hoping the boy would let it go, but knowing he wouldn’t.

“Hey Inseong?”

Inseong looked up to see Jihoon standing in the doorway of the infirmary. He smiled at the boy and said, “What’s wrong Jihoon? Not feeling well?”  
“I’m fine. I was just wondering if you’ve seen my dads,” Jihoon said.

“Oh. No I haven’t,” Inseong said with a small frown.

“I have,” Yunho said, turning from where he was studying on of his huge potions books.

“Where?”  
“Hmm, they were all having lunch when I went in there for a snack. That was only a few minutes ago. They may still be there,” Yunho said with a smile.

“Thanks,” Jihoon said, before running off towards the kitchen.

“Woah! Where you going in such a hurry?” Jaeyoon said as Jihoon skid to a halt in the kitchen.

“I was hoping to find my dads here,” Jihoon said with a pout.

“Sorry bud. They just left for the village. They’ll be back for dinner though,” Yoonie said.

“Thanks Jaeyoon,” Jihoon said with a frown.

“NO problem kid,” Yoonie said with a smile. He shook his head as the boy stomped out of the kitchen.

~*~*~*~*~

The whole family was enjoying a rare chicken dinner, when Jihoon decided to ask his dad the question that had been bothering him all day. “Dad,” he said cautiously.

“Yes,” Taeyang said, smiling fondly at his son.

“I was studying today, and…Why are you called the Wounded Warrior? You’re not injured,” Jihoon asked with a pout. He frowned when the dining room got eerily silent. All of the adults had stopped eating and were staring at Tae. Chani had frozen with his hand halfway to bringing food to Yonghwa’s mouth, and Yonghwa’s face was getting red with annoyance.

“I think it’s better if we talk about this later Jihoon. IN private,” Rowoon whispered.

“No,” Tae said, shaking his head and resting a comforting hand on Rowoon’s. “All the boys should know. Maybe it will make them more cautious.” He met each boys’ eyes and made sure their attention was focused completely on him. “It all started when Bin got really sick and Rowoon, Hwiyoung and I had to go on our first mission alone to get a stone so Inseong could cure him. He would have died otherwise, and I couldn’t have that,” Tae said, sending Youngbin a small smile.

Youngbin smiled at Taeyang fondly and listened as he told the boys about the mission that almost killed him, and the years that came after. He was proud of the way Tae was able to talk about his past without any shame or guilt. It had taken a long time for them to get him to see that what happened wasn’t his fault, but in the end it was Rowoon who broke him out of his self-hate. Rowoon said if he shouldn’t feel shame or guilt for how he dealt with his grief, then Taeyang shouldn’t feel that way about something that was out of his control.

“So, you survived detoxing from years of stone exposure?” Yunho said, eyes wide with wonder.

“Yes. Thanks to Inseong and Chani’s care and Rowoon and Hwiyoung’s stubbornness,” Tae said with a smirk.

“That’s amazing!” Seungmin said.

“Yes, but the process could have killed me,” Tae said.

“Tae was lucky, but he’s right. That’s why you need to remember our lessons. It’s why Inseong and I are so hard on you,” Dawon said.

Jihoon just nodded and stood, hugging Taeyang and saying, “I love you dad,” before he went back to eating his dinner. The rest of dinner, he was silent. He tuned out the chatter around him and just though about how grateful he was to Chani and Inseong. If it wasn’t for them, he wouldn’t be here. After dinner, he found Inseong finishing up in his workshop. “Inseong,” he said.

“Hey Jihoon,” Inseong said, smiling softly.

“I want to do two apprenticeships. I want to apprentice with you and Chani, not just Dawon,” Jihoon said.

“Is this about what was discussed at dinner,” Inseong asked with a frown.

“Yes. You saved my dad. I want to be able to do that if I have to,” Jihoon said.

“You better talk to your fathers first Hoon. I won’t say no because Chani did what you want to do, but I think your fathers need to approve first,” Inseong said.

“Fair enough. But I am an adult, so I will learn no matter what they say,” Jihoon said.

Inseong laughed and said, “You are just like Hwiyoung.”

Jihoon grinned before running out of the room. He knew just which of his dads he should ask for permission now.

~*~*~*~*~


End file.
